The Foreign Warrior
by Crisp Berry
Summary: There are strange things concerning Hinata Hyuga, many of which the girl herself does not know. On a journey for self-discovery, she finds herself teaming up with the Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother - and not of her choice. Can the unlikely trio work together to overcome the dangers that come their way, or will they turn against each other?
1. The Gentle Fist Alchemist

**Author's Note:** I did not steal Hina's story. This is more of an edited (and quite different) story of _'The Gentle Fist Alchemist'._ Enjoy.

* * *

The wind wheezed, rushing through the quiet streets. The full moon shown bright in the sky, a contrast to the inky black of the night. From atop one of the many buildings stood Hinata, staring out into the city known as Central. All was calm, or so it appeared. It was at these seemingly peaceful times that chaos would strike and, by the faint sounds of shouting many blocks away, she thought that now was the time when the silence was finally broken.

"It's been a few weeks now since I've last come here," she whispered to the air.

Indeed, time was quick to pass and the days that had previously felt like eternity appeared only to have happened in a flash and just yesterday. Despite her absence, there were many things that were the same - one of which sent goosebumps up her arms. Hinata rubbed her hands against her biceps, the night's cool air seeping through her light jacket, though the shiver that traveled up her spine wasn't one caused by the wind.

Something was going to happen, something that she probably would not like.

 _I just finished a case a few days ago and already I'm getting assigned on a new mission,_ she thought with dismay.

She was rarely able to catch a break these days and she was exhausted. Crime after crime popped up that she would be assigned to investigate and solve, and she had to wonder if she'd be able to get some rest from it all soon. After all, she still had puzzles of her own to solve and no time for it.

Hinata dug into her pants' pocket and slipped out a silver pocket watch. In the dull light of the moon the metal glinted, showing off the crest imprinted on it. A dog of the military was what she was - what all state alchemists were. This was proof that she was bound to the military with no way out but resignation. She had originally joined to help the people of this country and to get better resources for her research. Despite the benefits to it, she couldn't help but wonder whether this was really helpful or a nasty curse.

 _Even though I've become a State Alchemist now, I'm still nowhere close to completing my research,_ she thought.

Sneaking a peak at the time, Hinata snapped the cover to the watch shut and slid it back into her pocket, away from sight. According to her watch, she only had an hour at most to meet with one Colonel Mustang. It wouldn't take too long to get to his office if she ran, though she felt much too tired to do so. With a push of her arms, her body plummeted down the side of the building and she dropped to the ground on her feet, letting her body roll forward to allow for a better landing.

A quick look around told her no one had seen and she turned on her heels, making her way down to headquarters.

* * *

The commotion in the Colonel's office could be heard down the hall. Hinata easily picked out the sound of Maes Hughes and she couldn't help but smile serenely. How she had missed that kind and spirited voice sounding constantly through the day about the two precious females in his life. She pushed the door open and greeted the secretary, who gave a curt greeting back.

"Are you here for a meeting with the Colonel?" the girl asked.

Hinata nodded her head. "I should probably get inside now. I'm actually a few seconds late."

The blunette stepped inside and, as she expected, Mr Hughes was going around showing off pictures of his wife and daughter, and enthusiastically telling them the latest news on the two. Her gaze moved to the two faces unfamiliar to her, who she thought were the Elric brothers joining the meeting today. _I guess there's a reason behind the name 'Fullmetal',_ she thought, staring at who she assumed was the older brother.

"Hinata, hello. I hope you have been doing well," Riza greeted in a friendly tone, her expression softening some at the sight of her much younger friend.

The chatter within the room stopped and all eyes turned to her. Hinata tried not to bite her lip in habit, feeling a little embarrassed with the attention. She quickly shut the door and bowed to the occupants in the room. "Hello there, I'm here for the meeting with Colonel Mustang and the Elric brothers," she informed them. Straightening, she sent her superiors a smile. "It's good to see you guys again. I've been doing well enough."

"Glad to have you here finally here," Mr Roy said with a nod.

Hughes grinned widely and rushed towards her, raising a hand in greeting. "Why if it isn't the Gentle Fist Alchemist, Hinata Hyuga! I didn't know you were back. I'm glad to see you're doing fine." His face suddenly turned sourly. "You were planning on telling me of your return, right? You know how much I appreciate you seeing me when you come back!"

Hinata couldn't help the small blush that blossomed on her cheeks. No matter what, Mr Hughes always found a way to make her feel warm and loved. "Of course, Mr Hughes. I was planning on doing that right after this meeting, actually. I only arrived here a few hours ago and had to rush here to make it to the meeting."

"Well that's alright. I'm just glad to see you back! It sure has been a while since we've last seen each other," he said, patting her shoulder. "You know, you still look as young as when I first met you. I guess you really have stopped growing!"

The girl's blush only darkened and she ducked her head sheepishly at the reminder of her never-growing body. This only made Hughes laugh in amusement.

"Hughes, I think you've done enough teasing. We've got a meeting to get to," Mr Roy cut in.

"Huh?" Mr Hughes paused in his laugh, as if only now remembering the words Hinata had spoken only a minute ago. He pouted, though it quickly turned back into a smile. "Right, I'll just wait outside then." Slipping past her, he stopped at the door and waved to them. "Don't be too long! It's nearing bedtime for Elicia and Gracia would be disappointed if we arrived way past dinner to cold food!" He shut the door behind them, cutting off any words they may have said.

Mr Roy sighed in annoyance and Hinata caught the tiny smile on his subordinates face. She tried not to laugh. _Guess that means I'll be staying over at the Hughes' home again,_ she thought.

Not that she minded. It's been a while since she's seen little Elicia and Mrs Gracia. It sure would be nice to catch up with them after the long distance apart. Hinata was already looking forward to the delicious home-cooked meal that would no doubt be ready to eat when they got there. She always enjoyed Mrs Gracia's cooking, it was almost as good as her mother's.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of her head for now, Hinata focused her attention back on the two strangers in the room. Both were staring at her, though Hinata couldn't tell much of what the suit-wearing one was thinking with the helmet blocking any view of his face. The smaller one... it wasn't hard for her to tell he found her suspicious and weird. Her looks weren't exactly normal and he was already judging her based on them. She wanted to sigh, though kept up the smile.

"Have a seat Gentle Fist," Mr Roy instructed.

Hinata nodded minutely and made her way to the smaller of the two boys. She sat on the opposite end of the couch to the boy and tried hard not to let either of the boys' staring bother her.

Finally the blond broke his gaze and leaned back against the cough, crossing his arms and scowling at the Colonel. "So, what's this meeting about? I thought we've already been told everything we needed."

"Patience, Fullmetal. I was just getting there," Mr Roy said, smirking in what Hinata thought was amusement.

The blond just huffed in annoyance.

The smirk quickly wiped from his features, Mr Roy turned his piercing eyes on Hinata. "Before we begin, I should start off by telling you of the latest happenings here in Central. You may have heard, but the Freezing Alchemist - Isaac McDougal - is back within Central and killing officers."

Hinata's eyes widened at the familiar name. She hadn't heard it in such a long time that she'd almost forgotten about him. Last she heard, he had resigned his state qualifications and went missing. He was back in Central?

"It's unknown what his true goals. All we know for sure is that he's planning something big and we have to stop him. No doubt he's already close to finishing whatever he plans to do. That's partially why you've been called back here."

"And the other reason?" she asked.

He allowed his lips to finally pull up into his trademark smirk. "I'd like you meet the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. The one wearing the suit is his younger brother, Alphonse Elric. Elrics, this is the Gentle Fist Alchemist, Hinata Hyuga."

Hinata gaped at the two brothers, eyes shifting from one to the other. She couldn't believe it, the Fullmetal Alchemist was really the smaller of the two? And here she it thought was the one in the suit of armor! _Guess his name isn't so literal,_ she thought.

Seeing the warning glare the blond sent her way, she decided she wouldn't voice that thought out loud. No doubt, she'd wind up dead.

Mr Roy continued, his amusement only growing by her obvious shock. "Starting today, the three of you will be working together."

That brought a mix of different reactions. Two very distinct voices cried out at the news. The Fullmetal Alchemist looked beyond appalled and the younger brother... she assumed he was feeling the same way. Hinata couldn't say she wasn't feeling any better. This was definitely not what she had been expecting of this meeting.

"You can't be serious!" Fullmetal yelled in rage. "There's no way we're going to be working with her. You know that we work alone!"

Hinata winced at the hint of disdain in the alchemist's tone.

"Why the sudden change? I thought that we were allowed to travel on our own as long as brother completed all the work the military gave him," the other brother said.

Mr Roy stared at her, as if expecting her to voice a complaint or two as well, though found that she wasn't going to speak up. Not surprising, really. She wasn't the type to scream and yell her frustrations to the world. "Calm down," he ordered.

"I can't calm down! You know as well as I do that we can't be working with anyone!" Edward snapped.

Hinata winced at the sheer volume of the blond's voice. She could tell that the Colonel was no longer amused and, if she were to guess, she'd say he was experiencing the beginnings of a headache. The fingers that rubbed soothing circles over his temples only proved this. She herself wasn't too pleased with the outburst. It had been a long time now since she's been around a loudmouth and her ears weren't ready for it.

Though she could understand the reason behind it. After all, she was a stranger and suddenly asked to help them.

 _He didn't have to put it that way, though. I'm not weak,_ she thought.

"Fullmetal," Mr Roy ground out. "I understand your displeasure. However, these aren't my orders. They're the Fuhrer's. Gentle Fist is to accompany you on your journey and help in anyway she can. That can't be changed. Try to understand."

Edward looked ready to yell some more, though the hand that squeezed his shoulder quickly stopped him. Hinata silently watched the two brothers whispering to each other, biting off her curiosity. She knew that the two boys were talking about her, and it was painful not to eavesdrop. She still hated people speaking ill of her, especially in front of her. Though she was used to it enough that she could stop the scowl from showing on her face.

"Fine!" Edward yelled, huffing in defeat. "Whatever, I don't care. But she better not get in our way."

"Brother!" Alphonse said disapprovingly.

Edward only harrumphed.

Hinata wasn't sure whether to feel amused or annoyed. _Looks like he's still the child even after being in the military for over two years,_ she thought. He was lucky, that was for sure. Her first year within the military had been crushing and she envied him for his better life. Though horror and tragedy was hard to avoid, and soon he'd experience it. No one could stay innocent within the military.

"Don't worry, Fullmetal. Gentle Fist is more than trustworthy." Edward didn't look convinced. Mr Roy continued anyways, "Your first task will be finding and capturing the Freezing Alchemist. He's wanted for breaking into Central and killing many soldiers. As I said earlier, we have no idea what it is he's planning, but I'm sure it's not something good. Here, this is all the information we currently have on him," Mr Roy said.

He handed a yellow file to Riza, who moved from her superior's side to hand it to Hinata. She took it with a thanks and opened it up, her pale eyes scanning the words and imprinting it into her mind. There was nothing in there but basic information required of all soldiers to give upon entering the military. Half of it she already knew of and the other half she didn't think would be useful in finding him. She turned the page.

"Is he working alone?" Hinata asked.

"There haven't been any signs that he's working with a partner," Mr Roy replied.

Isaac was strong, though she still found it incredible that he could get by two popular state alchemists and all the other soldiers. He's definitely gotten stronger since the last time she's seen him, that was for sure.

Hinata nodded at that. "So that means we only have one person to worry about," she mused.

"Once you've finished that task, you're free to go where," Mr Roy informed Edward and Alphonse. "Of course, until we have another task for you."

Edward stood and his younger brother followed right after. The blond shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to the door. "If that's all then we're going."

Alphonse bid the Colonel goodbye and left out the door after his brother. Hinata, taking this cue to follow, stood. "Do you mind if I take this with me tonight and bring it tomorrow?" she asked, holding up the file for him to see.

Mr Roy nodded. "Of course. Just have it back tomorrow."

Hinata thanked him and turned on her heels.

"Oh, and Gentle Fist, about that mission you were assigned...?" he trailed off.

The girl understood and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not finished with my report. Would it be possible to maybe... postpone the time I have to hand it in? I wanna make sure I get everything in," she said.

He sighed. "I'll see what I can do. Just try to get it done as soon as possible. You know I've got a lot of my own work to get to."

"Sorry," she apologized once more and bowed to him. "I promise I'll get it done as soon as I can!" Hinata gave a little wave to Riza, who stood as stoic as ever by her superior's side. "Bye Riza. I hope we can chat later," she said.

Riza smiled for the first time since Hinata had stepped into the office and gave a nod. "Of course. Good luck," she replied.

* * *

Edward wasn't sure what he should be feeling with the new addition to his team. She was weird and no amount of Al's chastising could change his mind about that. As the car drove down the streets of Central, he stared intently at the girl through his peripherals, who didn't seem to have noticed or even cared. There was just so many things wrong with her that he could spot, and he hadn't even known her for that long!

For one, her hair was an abnormal color. For another, she was blind and could somehow 'see' everything. She was also in the military despite looking to be about his age. Then there was her weird style of dressing. A long lavender jacket, a weird cloth with a metal on it, dark pants that stopped a little below her knees, and shoes he's never seen before. He didn't understand the thing with the two pouches either.

 _She doesn't sound like much of a fighter, either,_ he thought.

He couldn't understand what a person like her was doing in the military. Why was she accepted either? Last he checked, the blind weren't hired.

"I just can't trust her," he muttered under his breath.

"Why are you so suspicious of her, brother?" Al asked low enough so that only Ed could hear. "She seems like a nice person."

"You can't trust in everything you see. She's weird and I can't understand why the military would hire her."

"Brother..."

"Come on, Al. Don't tell me you don't find her weird at all? No one has blue hair like hers. Not to mention she's blind, too!" he said.

Al couldn't argue with that. "Still, it's rude. We should at least give her a chance. She is supposed to be working with us from now on, after all. It wouldn't do us any good if you're always rude to her."

Ed just harrumphed. "Only once she's proven herself to be trustworthy."

The younger brother just sighed to that.

* * *

 _ **~Review~**_


	2. Confrontation

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapter. I very much appreciated them! It's starting off a little slow, though I'm really just setting up the story right now. Just a question, would you guys prefer longer chapters or are you fine with this size? Keep in mind that the longer the chapters, the longer it'll take me to get them done.

* * *

"Hi princess!"

Elicia squealed as her father hugged her, rubbing his scruffy beard against her delicate cheeks. She laughed and squirmed in his hold, trying hard to get away. "Daddy, your beard is itchy!" she yelled.

Hinata smiled serenely at the scene. She had missed this so much and it wasn't until now, when she was finally reunited with the Hughes family, that she realized this. Of course, it always felt like this whenever she would come back from missions the military gave her, but it never ceased to affect her just the same. She was happy to finally be back with them.

"Hello Hinata, it's good to have you back," Mrs Gracia greeted. She held out a hand and Hinata easily slipped hers in it. "So how has it been since the last time we've seen each other? Not too bad, I hope."

"I've been doing well. The mission wasn't that hard to complete, though I've still got to work on the report and bring it in," Hinata said.

Mrs Gracia nodded knowingly and Hinata ducked her head, blushing in embarrassment. Those close to her knew of her habit of double to triple checking her work for any mistakes. It drove her superiors nuts as they were delayed in their own work because of her, though even if she tried she just couldn't get rid of the habit. She always felt like she had missed something important and she had to keep and keep checking her work to ease her worries.

"Where did you go for your mission this time?" Mrs Gracia asked.

"To the south," Hinata answered. "I was sent there to stop a terrorist attacking the people by South City."

"Oh my, that sounds terrible. You're not hurt though, are you?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'm fine, just tired."

"We can't have that, now can we? Don't worry, we'll get you plenty of rest while you're here!" Mrs Gracia said cheerfully.

The blunette let out a puff of breath in content. She just couldn't express in words how much she enjoyed being in the presence of Mrs Gracia. This whole family was relaxing to be around and Hinata cherished every moment with them. Turning to the little girl she was yet to be able to talk to, she couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the little girl's comments for the Elric brothers.

"Big brother. Little brother," Elicia said, pointing at Alphonse for 'big' and Edward for 'little'.

Edward was far from amused. He looked ready to explode. "Nice to meet you, Elicia. I'm Edward Elric. This is my younger brother, Alphonse Elric. Get that? Youn-ger bro-ther," he bit out.

"But younger means little. Your little."

This time Hinata did chuckle at the girl's words. Couldn't say she hadn't made the same mistake and Edward's reaction to the words was hilarious. She was just glad that she hadn't voiced her thoughts on the realization of _who_ Fullmetal actually was. It was a good thing that Alphonse was holding Edward back from hurting anyone, and Hinata tried not to look at Edward as she stepped inside the cozy home after Mr Hughes and his daughter.

"Wanna talk later?" Mrs Gracia asked.

Hinata nodded.

"I hope you're all hungry. Gracia's cooking is delicious!" Mr Hughes exclaimed.

* * *

Dinner had gone well enough. Hinata puzzled about Alphone's armor and how he had refused to take it off even when eating. Actually, he hadn't eaten at all and that had her worrying slightly. She knew it couldn't be because there was something wrong with the food (unless he didn't like any of it), so it couldn't be that. Gracia's cooking was enough to make a criminal in the midst of robbing stop for a moment to eat (an exaggeration, but it was just that good in her opinion). Perhaps he was just too shy to come out of the armor and let them see how he looked like?

Edward was apparently on his side, whatever that side was.

Hinata didn't ponder on it for too long, though. Whatever it was, his reasons were his own and she had no right poke in it. Unless it involved someone getting hurt, of course. Then she had no problems putting an end to it - whatever it was. If he wished not to eat, it was his problem. Though him going hungry didn't settle well with her.

The girl sat in the living room, reviewing the file on Isaac McDougal. It was long past midnight now and everyone was asleep. The lids of her eyes drooped, sleepiness tugging at them to completely shut. With how much running around she had done on her last mission, it was understandable that she was fatigued. She ignored this, however. She wanted to make sure she had everything she could get that she needed for this mission before going to bed. The sooner she got the job done, the better. Then she'd have more time for rest.

 _Unless the Elrics decide to go on a wild journey,_ she thought.

A soft smack of the papers indicated the girl had dropped them on the table. She sighed and leaned back against the rest of the couch, stifling a yawn with her hand. With this new arrangement, it left her with no time for her own research. She had been hoping she could resume it as soon as she was back and finished the report on her latest mission, though it looked like it would still be a long time before she was there.

A door creaked open. Hinata sat up and looked toward the noise, surprised to see little Elicia standing at the door rubbing at her eyes. Her eyes softened at the sight of the girl and she got up to move to her. "Elicia, what are you doing up?" she asked.

The little girl let out a yawn. "I saw the lights on and you weren't in the room," she replied.

Hinata smiled and spread her arms out for Elicia to come, who easily slipped into them without a word. "I'm sorry. I just had to finish something up but now I'm done. Let's go to bed, alright? Elicia wants to wake up early tomorrow to bid daddy a nice day, right?"

The girl nodded tiredly, nuzzling the crook of Hinata's neck. Hinata lifted the girl up into her arms and moved to get her stuff off the table. By the time they were back in the room, Elicia was already asleep and snoring lightly. Hinata set the girl in bed and put her stuff away, before slipping in after the girl. Hinata had a feeling that tomorrow would be a long day and she wouldn't be prepared for it no matter how much she planned.

Hopefully the Elrics won't cause too much trouble for her.

* * *

"How awful," Alphonse commented.

"Looks like a steam explosion. Raise the temperature fast enough and it expands in the force of a bomb blast. The human body is seventy percent water," Edward said.

Hinata frowned. "Is this your first time seeing a body like this?" she asked, curious. They were still children, after all. It wouldn't be surprising. And if that was the case, she would have to be more careful in what she did and said around them. She wouldn't give them the pleasure of experiencing the hell that came with being in the military.

"No," Edward responded.

"It's still awful no matter how many times we see it, though," Alphonse muttered.

The girl nodded in understanding. "If you'd like, I can handle this-"

Edward growled. "Don't treat us like kids! We can handle ourselves just fine." He huffed and turned on his heels, walking off from the scene.

"Sorry about that. He's just a little upset that we haven't been able to find the alchemist," Alphonse apologized.

Hinata gave a curt nod and smiled. "Don't worry, I understand. We should split up, anyway. We can cover more ground if we split up. We can meet back up at the Hughes' home after dark," she suggested.

"Alright."

The two parted ways. Hinata strode through the streets, picking up speed as she turned a corner. Before long she was running and she didn't stop until she was a good distance away from the military soldiers. The explosion that followed soon after was unexpected and she activated her Byakugan out of instinct. Not far from where she came from she could see Isaac and Major Armstrong fighting. She pressed her lips into a thin line.

 _The Elrics are heading there as well,_ she thought. This might be the perfect opportunity to see them in action.

She headed back and caught up just in time to see the steam explosion go off. Deactivating her Byakugan, she pushed chakra to her feet and scaled the closest building to her left. _Best way to follow him without being noticed is on roof,_ she thought.

* * *

Alphonse stood at the opening of the alleyway with his brother at his side. The steam from the explosion was quickly dissipating and neither of the two could see the Freezing Alchemist. They would have chased after him, though they hadn't caught where he had run off to. And they were so close, too!

Edward let out a sound between a groan and a sigh, stomping his feet in irritation much like a child would. "Damn it, he got away again!"

"It can't be helped," Alphonse said.

The blond puckered out his lips sourly and crossed his arms over his chest. "This whole case is starting to really piss me off. Can't he just stay still long enough for us to catch him? We can't be wasting time on him when we have more important things to do!"

Alphonse looked around, not noticing something he had been expecting to show. Or rather, someone. Where was Hinata? They had agreed to part ways, though he thought that the explosion would have had her coming back to check it out. They only knew of one alchemist at the moment that was out causing chaos in the streets. Did she just not notice it?

"Where's that girl, Hinata or whatshername? I thought she was with us?" Ed questioned, looking around.

"I'm not sure. We decided to split ways to cover more ground, though I thought she'd be back here after that big explosion," Alphonse replied.

"So much for trustworthy," Edward muttered. He harrumphed in disdain. "She's not here when she's needed and we have no idea where she went."

Alphonse ignored those words. Sure Hinata appeared suspicious what with her strange appearance, but her attitude suggested that there was much more to her than meets the eyes. She had been worried, even if needless, about them seeing those burned up men. She was willing to take on the case herself to spare them any grief and in his books, that deserved some respect.

 _It's the first time someone's been worried about what would happen to me - besides brother, of course,_ he thought.

Given his intimidating appearance, most people stayed away from him rather than worried about him. It made him feel happy that she didn't think he was a freak or something, that he could get hurt. He felt like he could put his trust in her after that.

"She said we would meet up at the Hughes' home after dark, so it's not like she completely ran off," Alphonse said. "She's probably out searching for him and just didn't notice us fighting."

"How can she notice? What is she, bli...ind..." Ed trailed off, suddenly remembering. Right, he forgot. She _was_ blind. So she _couldn't see_ the explosion.

"It's not like she could see the explosion," Al voiced.

"Well she should have heard the explosion!" Ed yelled, trying to defend himself.

If Al could, he would have frowned deeply. He didn't get his brother's attitude towards Hinata. Sure he wasn't the most kindest when around people he knew little of, but this was over the top. "What do you have against Hinata, brother?" he questioned.

"I told you, Al. She's suspicious and we can't trust her!" Ed replied.

"I don't know. Maybe she is a little weird, but I think she's nice overall. She did worry about us," Al pointed out.

Ed huffed. "Or she could have just been acting," he muttered.

The younger of the two sighed. "Brother... Can you at least try to be nice? We are supposed to be working with her. I don't want to have to fight. She's been nice to us so far and we shouldn't go picking fights with her."

"Fine, whatever. I'll be... nicer. But I won't trust her until she's proven she can be trusted," he said.

Al shook his head. He guessed this was the best he would get out of his brother. This was definitely going to be a long day.

* * *

"Isaac McDougal."

Hinata jumped down from atop a building and landed with a thud on the concrete ground, surprising the Freezing Alchemist. He had hid himself in another alleyway, away from the eyes of the military. Seeing that he wasn't going to be going anywhere for a while, she thought it would be the perfect time to talk to him. She had some questions she wanted answers to.

"Who are you?" he asked gruffly.

The girl stepped forward, into the light cast by the moon. She heard him gasp and knew he recognized her. "It's been a while since I've last seen you, Mr McDougal," she greeted politely.

"Why if it isn't the Gentle Fist Alchemist." He laughed dryly. "And here I thought you would have fled from the country by now. You looked pretty broken back then."

Hinata winced at the mention of the horrifying event, though gave no other indication she had been affected.

"It's sad to see such a young alchemist like you here. Why are you still in the military?" he questioned.

"Why are you killing innocent people?" she fired back.

He looked shocked. He quickly schooled his features and let out a growl. "Innocent? Ha! Don't make me laugh. Anyone who participated in the slaughter house that was the Ishval Civil War is far from innocent!"

"So you're taking your anger out on the military for what you had to do in the war? That's insane! The military didn't have a choice. If the soldiers hadn't gone, the war would have spread throughout the country and even more people would have died. It's not like it could have been avoided."

"As naive as ever, I see. You seriously have no idea about the truth of the war, do you?" he inquired.

Hinata blinked, confused. What truth?

"The reason behind the slaughter of the Ishvalans - why there was even a war! It's all because of that bastard Bradley!

"What are you talking about? Fuhrer Bradley did what he had to!"

"You're wrong! He started the war and all for the sake of his plan! It wasn't out of need!"

"What are you..."

"Enough! I've wasted enough time with you."

Blue sparks flashed as Isaac took out a canteen and threw it at her. Hinata gasped and jumped behind a nearby trash can, bracing herself just as a jet of burning water shot at the spot she had not a second before been standing at.

"If you value your life, stay out of my way. I would hate to have to kill you," he yelled, and ran out of the alleyway.

Hinata silently cursed herself and moved to follow him. She came to a halt at the entrance though and looked around, not seeing the Freezing Alchemist anywhere. She contemplated activating her Byakugan to search for him, though refrained from doing so at the sight of soldiers rushing towards her. Long ago she had decided to keep her Byakugan a secret, unknown to anyone to would want to misuse it. The military included.

"Hey, are you alright?" one of the soldiers said.

"What are you doing here?" another asked.

A third one stopped beside her and looked around. "There was some kind of fight here. Did you see who it was or where they could have gone?

There were five in total, and each held a gun tightly in their hands. Hinata relaxed, deciding it was safe, and dug into her pants' pockets. She pulled out her State Alchemist watch and allowed them the view of the crest imprinted on it. "I'm Hinata Hyuga, the Gentle Fist Alchemist. I engaged the Freezing Alchemist in a fight, though sadly he got away."

The five gasped and saluted her.

Hinata held up a hand at ease. "He might still be nearby. Please have a search team out to find him," she told them.

They nodded and four of them headed out to search. The last one asked, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Have someone contact Central to let them know of this incident. I'll head out to help the search team locate the Freezing Alchemist." With that, she bid the man goodbye and left. Since she no longer had him in her sights, there was just one thing she wanted to do before finding him.

 _"There's news that Isaac had into Central Prison last night. It's unknown what he was after, but we believe he had come in contact with Kimblee,"_ were Colonel Mustang's words.

If that was true, she would find out.

* * *

 **Ednewgate:** Thanks for the review! I'm happy you find it interesting. Hope I can meet your expectations :)

 **Agrond:** That's right. Because of what Hinata's been through (which will be revealed later on), I thought it'd be weird for her to still have a stutter and fight in the military. The stuttering makes Hinata appear really weak, especially when she's stuttering in the middle of a fight, and I wanted to give a stronger look to her character. The reason why she's put with Ed will be made clear soon! Thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it! :D

 **AN:** If you guys have any questions you have about this story, feel free to send them in. I might not be able to answer them right away, but I will respond! That's something, right? Can't give any spoilers away, hehehe...

 ** _~Review~_**


	3. Trouble With an Old Friend

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapter. I very much appreciated them!

* * *

The appearance of Isaac had left Central Prison in state of a mess. The high spirited prisoners were especially loud this day, their words mixed into one unrecognizable yell which left her sensitive ears aching in irritation. Bribes and insults were thrown her way the moment she entered their sights and the guards struggled to keep the uproar under control. It wasn't hard to ignore, though what really got to her were the catcalls and comments about her body, ones that left her blushing in embarrassment. Had it been her younger self, she would have fainted long ago.

The guards weren't helping any, either. Their exasperation at her sudden appearance didn't go unnoticed by her. Obviously, they did not appreciate her arrival at the prison. Though considering the latest events, she imagined it was wearing on their nerves having to deal with the prisoners and investigate for anything the Freezing Alchemist may have left behind.

 _And they also have to deal with the Crimson Lotus Alchemist too,_ she thought.

If he was still the same as the last time she'd seen him, he was being as much of a thorn up their sides as possible. She knew he loved getting on people's nerves, especially hers.

"Here we are."

Hinata stopped alongside her escort and stared at the iron door holding the Crimson Lotus Alchemist captive. It was isolated - far away from the other cells where he couldn't communicate with anyone but his guards, and kept him under control. It was proof of just how dangerous the man in question really was. The girl swallowed thickly and clenched her trembling hands, pulling out as much confidence in her as she could.

She had met many people even more dangerous than Kimblee, yet no matter what, he always got her skin crawling. As much as she tried to will herself to bear with him, he was always hard to deal with.

This would definitely be an unpleasant exchange.

"Thank you," Hinata told. She faced her escort and gave a small nod, as well as a smile. "I appreciate your kindness in escorting me here. I'll be able to handle things now and if I need, I'll make sure to call someone here. You can go back now."

He gave a stiff salute. "Yes ma'am. Please take care of yourself. A guard will come immediately should you need it. Now, I'll be off on my way."

She waited until the guard was out of the room and her sights before turning back to the cell. Beyond the door was the infamous ex-State Alchemists many feared, and her own personal hell. Squishing the urge to turn back, Hinata opened the door with a loud creak and stepped inside the dark room. The door slammed behind her, yet the man inside gave no indication he cared. Bonded together were his hands in wood and chains, linking up to the wall at his back. His long hair fell loosely over his shoulders, contrasting the neat ponytail she had come to see on him everyday.

"Crimson Lotus Alchemist," she greeted gruffly, tense under the sharp blue eyes turned to regard her.

He smirked, laughing in cold derision. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Gentle Fist Alchemist. What a surprise! I haven't seen you in a while. Hope you've been doing well?" he said.

She didn't reply.

He smiled pleasantly, letting out a huff of breath in amusement. "Still a kitten in a horde of lions, putting on a tough act and pretending to be a hero? Or have you learned the truth since then?"

The girl's eyes narrowed, but she made no biting remark back despite the strong urge to. He definitely hadn't changed much in the years to pass since their last meeting. It was too much to expect that he would. If only he was as pleasing as he made himself appear to those who didn't know him well. How she hated when he poked fun at her.

With a soft huff, Hinata crossed her arms ad leaned back against the iron door behind her. The cool of the metal seeped through her thin jacket, easing her nerves just a little. "I don't have time for this. We both know why I'm here so speak up. What did Isaac speak come speak to you about?"

"Guess not."

"Kimblee..."

"Ah, I remember the good ol' times. The few times I've seen you in actual combat, you were quite the fighter - could kill a dozen soldiers with just your bare hands. Despite being called a 'State Alchemist', you never did use any alchemy. Or was that some strange form of alchemy you like to use? Either way, your skills were admirable. It's too bad you didn't do anything with them. So much potential wasted."

Her expression soured, her patience running low.

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sure you've improved since then." He laughed at her unchanging expression and leaned back against the wall, at ease and clearly enjoying the moment. "Relax, no need to be so uptight. I'm just teasing. You wanted to know what Isaac's plans are? Why not ask him yourself? Although I doubt he'll tell you anything."

"That's why I've come here. What did Isaac want with you?" she interrogated.

He shrugged. "Just a partnership. But as much as I'd love to get out of this cell, I don't work with others."

"You worked with the military."

"For," he corrected. "Anyway, there isn't much I know so it's useless to question me. It'd be better if you went asking him yourself. At the very least, you can stop him. And about now, I'd say he's at the final stage of his plans - unless he's already been captured. Better hurry then."

"Final stages of his plan...? You know what they are."

"Nope."

 _Liar,_ she thought. "Then I'll be going." Hinata didn't let go of her scowl. As much as she needed information on her present case, she hated dealing with him. She harrumphed within her mind and turned to get out of his presence. Her hand stopped upon the handle and she clutched tightly to the metal. A look over her shoulder showed that Kimblee was still staring at her. She hesitated to ask. "...Isaac said something about the Fuhrer starting the Ishvalan Civil War. You don't happen to know what he means by that, do you?"

He shrugged. "Nope, can't say I do."

"Then it was nice talking to you."

"Bye-bye. Hope you visit again soon."

The door shut with a loud smack, Hinata ignoring the little wave he gave her in goodbye.

* * *

Some things, she decided, weren't worth the trouble. Seeing Kimblee again was one of them. Two slender fingers rubbed soothing circles on her temples, easing the blossoming headache a touch. Dealing with the sociopath always gave her an unpleasant headache and a bout of anxiety. Oh how she hated being in his presence. She should have never gone to visit him, it only ended in her wasted time. He just knew all the buttons to press to get a reaction out of her and this little fact annoyed her as much as his philosophical speeches.

 _How he got into the military I'll never know,_ she thought.

His ideas contradicted those of the military. Unless he had lied in his tests, she knew of no other way how he could have made it in. Or did the military value people like him? She shook the thoughts from her head. It was pointless now to think about it. He was locked up and can't do anything to her, as long as she stayed away.

She didn't ever want to go back there.

Hinata focused once more on her current task at hand. The best course of action now would be to try and find Isaac again. However, there was still the agreement she'd made with Alphonse about meeting up after dark. Considering the time, she would say it was long the time of the agreement. No doubt the two were mad with her about not showing up.

 _Edward will probably yell at me if I try and find him now,_ she thought.

So, what should she do? Find the two brothers and try to explain why she'd gone to see a criminal, or go straight to looking for their target? The first would be the easier of the two, but no doubt she'd have to hear it from them later. Edward didn't look like a patient person. Her main priority should be locating and stopping Isaac, so she decided to go with that one. Hopefully, the two brothers wouldn't be too upset with her.

"Wha...!"

Red light burst from the ground in the shape of lightning. Hinata gasped, steadying herself against the trembling ground. The sudden spike in energy had her head aching. She grunted and activated her Byakugan on instinct, her vision expanding to unbelievable heights. The sight that assaulted her newly activated eyes was that of a large transmutation circle encompassing the city.

 _What's going on?_ she wondered.

Just then, a large ice block formed, rushing straight towards central in its rapid growing. Hinata gasped at the sight, unsure of what was going on. Her eyes spotted Isaac and the boys just then, fighting against each other. If she had to guess, she'd say this was what Kimblee had been talking about when he said Isaac's plan was at the final stages about now. She mentally cursed at herself.

 _Help the boys out or try to destroy the transmutation circle?_ She gave a frown in dismay. Her job was to stay with the Elrics, but it was also to protect the people of the country.

 _I'll let Colonel Mustang and the others take care of the transmutation circle,_ she decided, noticing the people in question working on the task.

Mentally wishing the others good luck, she headed straight for the Elrics.

* * *

Hinata hadn't had to worry about the city wide transmutation circle. As she had hoped, Colonel Mustang and the others quickly took care of it and the city was no longer on the threat of being covered in ice. With that out of the way, she could wholeheartedly focus on getting to the Elrics and Isaac. However, there was something that surprised her. With her Byakugan, she was able to spot the Fuhrer King Bradley helping out.

 _I guess that just shows how serious this case is,_ she thought.

Hinata winced, feeling worry creep up upon her at the sight of Isaac injuring Edward in the shoulder. _Even with the two of them, it's still hard for them to beat Isaac,_ she thought.

They were skilled, she could say that much. The fact that they could survive against the Freezing Alchemist alone told of their strength. However, Isaac was also very skilled. Even as he fled from the two brothers, she still couldn't help but be on guard with him. He was too stubborn to quit and she feared he'd target innocent people if he wasn't stopped soon.

She had to get there, and quick.

Hinata meandered through the streets, taking to the roofs when she felt the ground wasn't fast enough. Slower than she would have liked, she finally made it to where the Elrics were and she deactivated her eyes so no one would see them.

"Edward! Alphonse!" she called.

The two halted in their running and were caught off guard at the sight of her. "Hinata, you're alright!" Alphonse said in relief.

Hinata stopped in front of them and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I apologize for not helping you two against Isaac. I was occupied with some other stuff."

Edward snorted.

Alphonse jabbed him on the arm, earning a small and indignant cry from his brother.

Hinata's eyes immediately zoomed in on the hand that clutched at its owner's bleeding shoulder. She frowned in concern. "Edward, you're hurt! Let me see," she said.

"I'm fine," he replied gruffly, taking a step back. "Instead of worrying about me, shouldn't you worry about getting the Freezing Alchemist?"

"Yes, and my job is also to help you," she told him. Hinata knew that Edward didn't like her - anyone with eyes could see that. However, she didn't think he'd be this stubborn in refusing her help. He was injured and still pushing her away! She sighed. "Don't worry about Isaac. By the direction I saw him heading in last, he'll be meeting up with the Fuhrer about now."

"The Fuhrer!?" the two exclaimed.

She nodded.

"What's the Fuhrer doing here?" Alphonse questioned.

Edward frowned, knitting his brows together. "How do you even know that?"

That was an easy question to respond to. "I passed by him," she easily lied. She regarded Edward's wound once more. "If you don't want me to look at it, then we should at least get a doctor. You'll be alright with that, right?"

The blond 'tsk'ed. "You're still on that? I told you I'm fine so leave me alone." He didn't wait for her reply and slipped passed her. "Come on, Al," he called over his shoulder.

Hinata sighed at the obvious displeasure emitting from him. So much for trying to be nice and worry about him. She had to wonder if he'd ever lighten up to her. Her first thought of this being a long day was right - it was far too long and tiring for her taste, and the day wasn't even over yet.

"I'm sorry about my brother. I'm sure he doesn't really mean it. He's just annoyed that he wasn't able to get the Freezing Alchemist. Give him some time and I'm positive he'll warm up to you," Alphonse said.

Hinata smiled at the attempt. "Don't worry, I understand. I'm not the most normal person and I haven't given you guys much reason to trust in me. It's a lot to expect you guys to trust me after only knowing me a day." She regarded the shrinking form of the blond ahead of them and huffed. He reminded her of a lot of people and it made her nostalgic. She honestly hoped that they could one day be friends. "Come on, we should catch up to your brother before he realizes we're not with him."

"Right."

* * *

As she thought, it was the Fuhrer who had taken down the Freezing Alchemist. Hinata was relieved that nothing had happened while she had gone to check the boys, though at the same time sad that Isaac had been killed. While she didn't know him well on a personal level, he had been a comrade of hers once upon a time. To see him lying in a pool of his own blood brought a small pang to her heart.

"He really did do him in," Edward muttered.

"I guess you were right that the Fuhrer would handle him," Alphonse said.

Edward suddenly halted in his walking and turned to her, a glare on his young face. "There's something I don't get. You say that you passed by the Fuhrer, and that the Freezing Alchemist was heading his way. If that's true, then you should have met up with him on your way to us. Why didn't _you_ take him out?" he questioned, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Ah, brother!"

"Better yet, how was it that you were able to see and know about it?" Edward continued.

Hinata blinked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "I understand the first question but... what do you mean by 'how was I able to see and know'? I would've seen him with my eyes."

"But you're blind! Tell me the truth, damn it!"

.

.

.

And there it was. He had done it. It had been such a long time since she'd been asked that question that she couldn't help herself. She laughed. Loudly. Surprising the two brothers in the abrupt action.

"What's so funny?!" Edward demanded.

Hinata gave a sigh in content and wiped a tear from her eyes. "Edward, Alphonse, what made you think I was blind?"

"You mean you're not?" Alphonse questioned in surprise.

"Of course I'm not. I can see perfectly fine, the same as everyone else," she replied.

"But... but..." Edward gaped, faltering and making the perfect impression of a fish.

Alphonse decided to speak for his brother. "But we thought... I mean, you're eyes... They're..."

"Oh." Now she understood. Of course, this country didn't know about the Hyuga clan or the Byakugan. Her eyes were too weird so of course they'd attract attention. Still, it had been a while now since she was questioned on it, as people were either too uncomfortable to talk about them or already knew. She should have known it was that. "My eyes are a trait that's run through my family," she explained. "All Hyuga's have these eyes and I'm no exception."

"Oh."

The two looked completely speechless and, even if they didn't want to admit it, embarrassed at having assumed wrong. Hinata just couldn't keep the smile off her face. Seeing that the two had forgotten about the first question, the girl didn't respond to it. She hadn't actually bumped into The Fuhrer or Isaac, so explaining to them how she really knew the two would meet up would be tricky.

"Why don't we go see a doctor now? We need to get that wound checked," Hinata said.

She still wasn't letting it go, and wouldn't let it go until he got it checked at.

"Hn!"

Edward turned on his heels and stomped his way down the streets, his brother following right after yelling for him to wait. Hinata sighed in content and followed behind them. _Yep, he definitely reminds me of a lot of people,_ she thought.

* * *

 **Ednewgate:** No problem for the mistakes. English isn't my first language either so I understand the struggle of writing and reading another language. Don't worry, you'll be able to soon. This is more just set up for the rest of the story. More will happen with her soon enough, I promise. Thanks for the review!

 **TissueCube:** I get the feeling you've read the other _The Gentle Fist Alchemist_ story? It was pretty mediocre, but to be fair Hina was still a beginner. Can't say I'm too good either, but I'm glad you're enjoying this story. I'm definitely relieved to find I've got the characters IC. I was so worried that they were OOC. It can be hard writing about characters that you're not used to. I hope to not disappoint! Thanks you for the review!

 **Guest:** You mean what Isaac was telling Hinata? Yes, that was about the Ishvalan Civil War. It's been greatly hinted in the anime that Isaac knew, or at least had a good idea, of what Bradley and the military were scheming. So I decided to play with it a little. Thanks for the review!

 **AN:** As always, if you guys have any questions then feel free to review. I'll try to answer all of them but make no promises. After all, can't have the story spoiled, right? I'll respond, though! That's great, right? :)

 ** _~Review~_**


	4. Side Case

**AN:** An extra long chapter this time. You guys should be grateful. I neglected doing my homework just for this!

(Actually, even if I wasn't working on this, I'd still neglect my homework. School is evil. Work is evil. Everything is evil! There's just so much to do that it makes me not want to do it. (~￣▽￣)~)

Some other news, I finally got a substitute title for this story. Not a good one and just shows my bad skills with making up titles, but one nonetheless. Now it won't be confused over the other _The Gentle Fist Alchemist_ story! Isn't that great?

Alright, onto the story!

* * *

It was a few days after the Isaac incident that Hinata was able to talk to Edward and Alphonse. With how Edward felt towards her, she had decided to visit him at times (she hoped) he wasn't awake. Alphonse told her that Edward had a habit of sleeping a lot so she took this opportunity to come and give him some flowers as a get well gift on those times, just to avoid his obvious disdain towards her. This day had been tough on her as she had gotten yet _another_ case to complete while she stayed here waiting for Edward to heal, and she had been going around the city trying to chase down her target.

She had been hoping she could get a little break by visiting Edward in the hospital. That, however, didn't seem to be the case.

Hinata sat tensely in one of the few seats within the blond's room. He was sitting in bed, staring out the window and refusing to speak to her. She didn't know what he was upset about this time, but she wasn't going to risk setting him off.

 _And here I thought I could relax. Can't do that with Edward awake and irritated,_ she thought.

Boy was this awkward. The taps of Ed's fingers against his metal arm grew increasingly louder in the eerie silence. Hinata could've heard a pencil snapping from down the hall if it happened. She fidgeted in her seat. Perhaps she should leave? The last thing she wanted was for him to yell at her. If only she knew of a way to help lower the tension in the room, then that would be better.

 _I really wish that Alphonse was here,_ she thought.

"So," she started hesitantly, "how are you doing today? Feeling any better?"

"Hm."

She sweat-dropped. _Yup, definitely wished Alphonse was here._

"Is there anywhere you and Alphonse are planning to go after you recover?"

"Hm."

Hinata sighed. _He's not even paying attention to me..._ Perhaps this was the best opportunity she had to sneak out of the room? Edward wouldn't notice, and she doubted he'd miss her either. It wouldn't be hard, just tiptoe out and run away. He wouldn't care even if he noticed. But I'd rather not leave like that. We're supposed to be working together and it would be better to try and befriend him now rather than run away and let everything blow up in my face later, she thought.

Ugh, why was he being so difficult? Well, she might as well try at least. The worst he could do was yell at her, unless he decided she would make a good punching bag. Though she greatly doubted the latter. Edward couldn't be that type of person.

...right?

Boy was she nervous.

Hinata cleared her throat.

"You're not an Amestrian, are you?"

The girl blinked, shocked and confused. "Um, what?"

He turned his head, for once since she'd come here was he actually looking at her. His stoic expression made it hard for her to decipher his feelings. "You don't look like you come from here," he said.

She nodded slowly. "Um, I come from the far east," she replied.

"From Xing?"

"No," she told him. "Farther. My home country is Hi no Kuni, which is located in the Elemental Continent."

"What are you doing all the way here then?"

That... was a sensitive topic. They were working together now but Hinata refused to tell him that much about her. It was just too personal and she didn't trust him with the information just yet. So she tried to avoid it. "I... got into some trouble back home and came to Xing for an escape. After researching about alchemy, I grew interested in this country's alchemy and came here to study it more. That's when I heard about the war and decided to join the military to help. That was five years ago."

"Why get involved in this country's affairs? You don't have an obligation to it," he said.

She smiled, letting out a small huff of breath. "Maybe so, but I couldn't just stand by knowing that there was a war going on here and I could somehow help."

"But you're not from Amestris. How did you get in the military?"

"You'd be surprised how despite one can get when in the middle of war. The military was growing short-staffed with so many people dying and were looking for new recruits. It took a few weeks, but I was finally allowed to take the exam. By the time of my final assessment, Order 3066 was issued and, being so limited in soldiers, I was sent to the front lines with the other Alchemists to serve as my final assessment. After everything was done and over, I was given my State Alchemist pocket watch and the name 'Gentle Fist Alchemist'."

He was silent, his head bowed and his blond locks blocking the view of his face. Hinata wondered if she had shared too much information with him. She still had no clue as to what he could take in and not without being terribly affected. Though she had been hoping to gain at least a little trust from him with this piece of information.

"So... you served in the Ishvalan Civil War?" he asked hesitantly.

She nodded, though she doubted he could see. "That's right."

"Ah..." His head suddenly jolted up and he gaped at her. "Wait, that war ended five years ago! If you were there, then..."

She smiled and tilted her head to the side slightly, amused by his reaction. "I'm an adult, Edward. Twenty-one years old, actually. Six years older than you if I'm correct."

His mouth dropped to the bed. "You're kidding me!"

The door slammed open at that moment and in came a suit of armor. "Brother, I got the tickets to Lio-" Alphonse paused at the door, staring between his dumbstruck brother and the smiling Hinata in confusion. "Um, did I miss something?"

Hinata laughed. "Don't worry, Alphonse. Nothing too important. I was just telling Edward a little about myself. What were you saying?"

"Oh..." He looked between the two, wondering whether it really was 'nothing too important' as she had said. His brother looked out of it. "Oh, I just came here to tell brother I got the train tickets to Liore. I didn't know you were here, though."

"I came here not too long ago," she informed him. "I didn't know we were going to Liore, though. Isn't Edward still bedridden?"

"Actually, the doctor said he-"

"That's it, I'm done with you!" Edward yelled suddenly. He pulled at his hair in frustration. "Just when I think I've figured you out, you bring something new in! What's next, you're an ultimate kung-fu fighting hippopotamus disguised as a girl trying to overthrow the military?!"

"Um, brother... are you okay?" Alphonse asked.

Hinata was trying hard not to laugh. Who would have thought revealing her age would have gotten that sort of reaction out of him? "Is it so hard to believe?" she questioned.

"So hard? You don't look anything like it! Now I understand why Lt. Colonel Hughes meant when he said you haven't aged since the first time you've met!" And he was back at pointing that accusing finger at her.

Alphonse sweat-dropped. "I've definitely missed something here."

* * *

It took a bit of time for Edward to calm down and Hinata smiled all throughout it, although Alphonse looked more than a little confused by what was going on. The two quickly filled him and, to his credit, he didn't freak out like his brother. He took it nice and calmly, though she could tell he was having a little difficulty processing everything despite the metal helmet he had for a head. His first question was far from Edward's.

"So if you're twenty-one and you participated in the war five years ago, wouldn't that make you sixteen at the time?" Alphonse questioned.

Hinata nodded with a grim smile, all evidence of her earlier amusement gone.

"Did you have to...?" he trailed off, hesitant to ask.

She nodded again.

"I see."

The girl sighed and stood, stretching her stiff muscles until she heard a satisfying pop. "Enough of that subject. Why don't we talk about what we'll be doing next?" She sat back down on her chair and leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees. "From what I got, we'll be going to Liore, right? Edward, are you sure you'll be up for it? You wound hasn't completely healed."

"I'm fine," he replied. To emphasis this, he rolled the shoulder the wound was on. Hinata didn't miss the small wince he gave. "We'll just be going there for some research, anyway. So I don't need you worrying about me."

Hinata nodded. Looks like it's back to the mistrust, she thought with disappointment. She could see he was hiding something from her, though she wouldn't inquire. As long as no one was getting hurt, she would leave it alone. Though she had wished that he would come to trust her with the information she had shared with them. He still sounded tense and uncomfortable around her, maybe more so now than before.

 _Maybe telling him my age was a bad thing? I think I just created even more distance now that he knows the age gap between us,_ she thought.

Nothing ever went her way now, did it?

"Alright, as long as you're fine with it." She shifted her attention to Alphonse. "The ticket is for the train tomorrow, right?"

"That's right," he replied.

She stood and fixed the wrinkles in her jacket. The two brothers looked confused.

"Are you leaving now?" Alphonse asked.

"Yes. I've actually been given a side case to complete while I'm supposed to wait for Edward to heal up. I don't want to hand the case over to someone else because we're leaving tomorrow," she told him.

"Why not give it to the Colonel to complete? I'm sure he'd enjoy the job," Edward said.

She shook her head. "Colonel Mustang only came here to help out with the Isaac McDougal case. Now that it's done, he's going back. I don't want to give him anymore work than he came here for."

The two brothers shared a look. "Maybe we can help with it," Alphonse suggested.

She shook her head and smiled gratefully. "No, I'll be fine on my own. It's not a big case so I'll be able to finish it up quickly. Thank you for offering, though. I really appreciate it."

"Well, if you're fine with it," Alphonse said in uncertainty.

"I should get going now," Hinata said. She stood and nodding towards them. "I guess I'll see... Umm, are you guys going to Mr Hughes after Edward gets checked out or are you guys planning on staying at a hotel?"

"We're planning on just checking out a room at a nearby hotel. It was nice staying with the Hughes family but we don't want to burden them anymore than we've already had," Alphonse replied. "Besides, it's only for tonight anyway."

She understood. "Alright, then I'll just find you guys after I'm done. If not, I'll see you at the train station." She gave then a small bow and headed out.

"Bye."

* * *

Hinata stepped out of the hospital and leisurely made her way down the street. She pulled down her backpack and pressed it to her chest, rummaging through the contents inside until she stumbled upon the folder she was looking for. She smiled to herself, thinking back to the two brothers.

 _They're different in terms of personality but get along really well. It's amazing the kind of bond the two have,_ she thought.

It wasn't the usual sibling one and in fact, much deeper than that. Like two people who'd gone through a lot together and have come to truly trust in each other wholeheartedly. It was rare to see this deep a bond in two people and for that, she respected them. They were still kids though, and no doubt would be put through plenty of horrors now that they were in the military. For them, she hoped that they'd be spared even a little.

 _I know I almost didn't make it out,_ she thought.

It was then that she decided she'd do what she can for them. Already she was sure they'd gone through some kind of hell, she'd try and keep them from going through another one. And if she couldn't, perhaps she could lessen it somehow. She didn't want them to turn out like her.

The girl focused back on the folder in her hand. She opened it to the first page and the smile swiftly turned upside down. Now, to her current case. There was a report of an escaped convict from Central Prison. Apparently, he'd snuck out the same night Isaac had snuck in. Since most of the guards were killed by Isaac, there was little to no security. This made it easier to get passed them.

Richard Shultz was the escapee's name. He was imprisoned on the acts of seven murders, three rapes, and twenty-one robberies, as well as a few other crimes. According to the reports, he was a man of stealth easily able to hide under the watchful eyes of the military. By the time they'd actually been able to catch him, he had been drugged and injured by his last victim. The victim was found dead a few hours after Richard's capture, no doubt he'd killed her.

Considering the day he was reported missing, it could be assumed he had some affiliation with Isaac McDougal. If that was the case, this could mean another city wide transmutation circle the military'll have to worry about.

"He really is a tricky one to catch," she mused.

Turning a few pages, Hinata came to the photos of the crime scenes. She cringed at the sight. She'd been in a war and seen plenty of hell, but the sight of gory, almost dismantled figures still made her a little queasy. Perhaps it was because of the images of her own victims that haunted her mind making it hard for to look at such a sight. Either way, it wasn't pleasant.

Hinata closed the folder, the words and images imprinted in her mind. She'd gone through it a few times, but she'd always come back to checking it in worry that she'd missed something. She wanted to have as much information on the guy as possible. The more she knew, the easier it would be for her to deal with him.

Placing the folder back in her backpack, she pulled the straps over her shoulders and took a sharp turn down another street. The presence she could feel hiding nearby never stayed too far away, easily keeping pace with her. Ever since the Isaac McDougal case had been over, there was always someone following her. She didn't know who or why, and to keep others from finding out her secrets, she'd been extra cautious with what she did.

She stepped inside an alleyway and stopped halfway through. Her Byakugan immediately activated, she tensed her muscles in preparations for a fight she was sure would happen. "Why not come out already? I know you're there," she called out.

With the activation of her eyes came the onslaught of images from all sides of her. She frowned in displeasure at who she found. _That would explain why I felt more than one pair of eyes on me today,_ she thought. Oh how she felt like sighing at that moment. Why were they even here? She thought they agreed to meet up later.

 _That's not what I should be focusing on right now,_ she told herself.

Hinata focused on the third figure, identical to the one in the photos. So he had been the one following her almost all week. No wonder she couldn't find him. Guess she should have addressed the stalker when she'd immediately sensed him, though she'd originally thought it was one of the military men. They liked keeping an eye on here every once in a while. But what would he want with her?

He wasn't anything impressive. Average looks and average height. The only outstanding thing about him were the pair of amber eyes bordering gold - though looked more brown in the dim lighting. He had long black hair pushed into a high ponytail and lean muscles that his uniform hugged loosely. Strapped to his hip was a holster with a small blade.

Richard strut past the alley's corner and stopped at its mouth, giving a cold laugh that seemed to echo eerily. "You're some woman to have been able to notice me. I praise you for that." He smirked and took the knife from its holder, twirling it effortlessly in a manner that could only be described as showing off. "So, how long have you known about me following you?"

"Since almost a week now," she replied. Her body tense, she slowly slipped into a stance ready for action.

He looked surprised. "That long? Why not call me on it from the start?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she asked, "What do you want from me?"

"He said you were shy with no backbone, but you're actually quite the feisty girl, aren't you?" He laughed. "I like that."

Hinata's brows furrowed. _He?_ she wondered. So there was more than one person involved in this case. That little bit of information was quickly locked up in the back of her mind for later analysis. "I'll only ask once more, what do you want from me?"

"Simple," he said. She only had a second to react before a sharp blade was shoved at her head. "I want you dead."

Hinata grunted and ducked under the arm. The shot to his chin had him reeling backwards and Hinata took this opportunity to great some distance between the two, flipping back. The man cursed under his breath and rubbed at his aching chin, though the smirk was yet to leave his cocky face. Guess her kick hadn't been as effective as she was hoping it would be. She prepared herself for the next attack.

"You're remarkable woman," he complimented, dodging a strike to his shoulder. "I'm not much in the physical department but that attack was splendid. Land another hit on me and I'll definitely consider taking you as mine."

She faltered, cheeks flushing a lovely red. "Wh-what?"

"You're wide open!"

Crimson stained the concrete floor, the splatter of blood drowned out by the sharp cry that followed. Hinata grabbed the man's wrist and pulled back, flipping him over her and creating distance. She resisted the urge to moan at the searing pain in her shoulder as she pushed herself up and back into her stance. He came not a second later, his arm a blur in the rapid strikes towards her head.

 _He's fast_ , she thought.

Her shinobi training had him outmatched, yet the tight and messy confines the two fought in made it hard to attack and dodge. She'd have to end this quickly lest she get more injuries. Sidestepping another attempt at her, she pumped chakra to her palms and palmed him hard in the gut. He reeled back and spat out blood. Hinata left him no room for recoveries, charging at him with a chakra-filled palm.

"Watch out!"

.

.

.

"Damn," Richard swore.

Hinata gasped in shock, blinking her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was real. She just couldn't believe it. _I didn't think they'd step in,_ she found herself thinking.

Richard, for the most part, was unharmed. She imagined the bruises forming about now by the tight hold the stone hand held on him. Sparks flickered out the transmuted arm before finally residing, leaving behind the escaped criminal in surprise and anger. "Why you..."

"Are you alright, Hinata?"

"Who the hell are you?"

The blunette looked between the two boys. "Edward... Alphonse... What are...?"

"We were kinda... following you. Sorry, we didn't mean to wait this long before helping out, but we weren't sure whether you were alright or not by yourself." Hinata noted that Alphonse didn't give the reason to why they were following her. The boy in metal snuck a look at his brother. "Brother said to wait until ten minutes were up before going in." He leaned in closer to her so his brother wouldn't hear the next part. "He was secretly worried about you."

Hinata wanted to smile, she really did, though only gave him a nod in acknowledgement. "Thanks for that," she told him. _Even though it wasn't needed,_ she thought. Her attention shifted to Edward and the caught criminal and her expression hardened. She walked over to the two.

Richard glared at her. "Three against one? That hardly seems fair."

"Well, as the saying goes, all's fair in love and war. Now, tell us who you are and what you want!" Edward demanded.

Hinata let out a breath in amusement and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, getting his attention. "No need," she told him softly. She didn't respond to his confused look and she regarded the criminal. "Richard Shultz, for various such as robbery and murder, as well as many others, you are put under arrest... Again," she muttered that last part under her breath. "You're going back to prison and this time, you won't be getting out."

"I'm soo~ scared," he said in mock fear.

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course, you're going to get questioned first."

Edward chose this time to speak up. "Wait a minute, what do you mean by crimes? Who is this?"

She ignored him. "First off, what did you mean by when you said 'he said you were shy with no backbone'? Who are you working with?" she interrogated.

He shrugged, or tried to at least. "Eh."

Her eyes narrowed. "What are your motives?"

"Eh."

"Do you know a man by the name of Isaac McDougal?"

"Eh."

"What did-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Edward interrupted. "You haven't answered my question. Who is he?"

"Edward, can you-"

"No. I want answers, now," he said.

She looked between her target, him, and his little brother - who was fidgeting slightly in place. With a sigh, she finally turned to the blond beside her. "His name is Richard Shultz. He was locked up in Central Prison until a week ago for various crimes such as rape, murder, robbery, and a few others. He broke out the day Isaac had infiltrated in, and it's believed that he has some connection to him. While waiting for you to heal, I was given the task of capturing him," she explained.

"Wait, you think he's working with the Freezing Alchemist?"

"Still here you know," Richard muttered.

He was ignored.

"Yes, that's what it is believed."

"Then does that mean...?"

"You know, it's very rude to ignore someone, right?"

Again, Richard was ignored.

"It could be possible," Hinata said.

Edward turned sharply to the man and grabbed him by his shirt. "Are you working with the Freezing Alchemist? Tell me! You're planning another city wide transmutation circle, aren't you!"

"Eh." Richard tried to shrug once more. "Hey, mind loosening this up a bit? My knife's stabbing my leg."

"No. I asked you a question!"

"Eh, I didn't think so either. You know what, I'm getting hungry. Care to bring me in already so I can get some grub? I would appreciate it."

Edward's brow twitched and he breathed harshly through his gritted teeth. "Answer my question, damn it!" He looked ready to pummel the guy. Alphonse decided this was the time to intervene. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, much like Hinata had done a minute ago.

"Brother, calm down. He's trying to bait you, If you let him get to you, you'll only be playing his game." Alphonse said.

"Good words for an oversized tin can," Richard said.

.

.

.

"...An oversized tin can...?" Alphonse sulked against the side of the alleyway.

"What happened to not letting him get to you?!" Edward reproached.

Hinata wasn't sure whether to feel amused or pity the younger Elric.

"Short temper you got there, don't you?"

Edward snapped. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT?!"

 _He didn't call you that though,_ Hinata thought with a sweat-drop. The girl quickly held him back before he could beat her target black and blue. She sighed to herself, deciding that annoyed was the appropriate emotion to feel right now. "He didn't really say that, Edward. Besides, you're only giving him ideas by letting his words fuel you."

"Let go of me! Let go! Let go! Let go!"

Hinata let out a huff of breath. _He's just like a child,_ she thought. She fought the smile that threatened to show on her face in amusement of the blond's antics. "I still need to question him, you know. As well as inform the military of his capture," she told him.

Edward slowly calmed at those words. Hinata wanted to sigh in relief at finally getting him to stop struggling in her grasp. Truth be told, her shoulder was throbbing painfully from the cut Richard had dealt her and her head ached as well. There was just so much that went on in just an hour and she still had a lot more to do. This day was a long one, that was for sure.

"What's wrong, aren't you going to kill me, shortie?"

And it was back to the little tug-o-war they had going on.

"STOP CALLING ME SHOOOORT!" Edward kicked and punched at the air, struggling as hard as he could against Hinata's grip, who grunted in effort to keep him back. "Let go of me! I'm gonna smash his face in for calling me short!"

 _Isn't this day turning out splendid,_ she thought dryly.

* * *

It took a bit to finally get Edward to calm down and Alphonse away from his mushroom sprouting corner. She predicted that it would be a while before she'd finally get used to working with the two. Squeezing her shoulder gingerly, Hinata frowned in dismay at the bloody wound. Holding Edward back had been harder than she had thought it would be. He was definitely strong physically. It didn't help that she was injured.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Alphonse asked quietly.

Hinata nodded, sending him a brief smile in reassurance. "I'm fine."

"He hurt you, didn't he?" the boy in metal asked, eyeing her injured shoulder. No doubt he could see the blood staining her jacket, despite her effort to hide it. She felt touched at his worry.

"Don't worry, it's just a scratch," she told him. The girl regarded the criminal once more, who quietly watched the interaction with an undecipherable smirk. "I'll be taking you to headquarters for questioning. They'll decide what to do with you afterwards."

"What, you're done with questioning me?" Richard inquired.

Edward looked shocked. "Wait, what do you mean? I still want answers! He hasn't told us anything yet. Don't tell me you're giving up?"

 _No, I haven't. But I'd rather not get any information out of him while you two are here,_ she thought. There was no way Richard was just going to give up information that easily and she'd rather not interrogate him in front of the two. Things wouldn't be pretty. She didn't want them to have to go through something like that. Besides, the military could handle it anyway. The report would tell her what she needed, unless he wanted to remain that stubborn.

"It's better if we let the military handle this," she told him. He opened his mouth to retort, but she beat him to it. "Do you have any experience in interrogation? It's obvious he's not going to let go of the information we want that easily. What do you plan to do?"

His expression soured, understanding the unspoken question."...Can't hurt to try," he mumbled.

Hinata shut her eyes and let out a huff of breath, letting her hands rest on her hips. She said that she'd take Richard to headquarters, though that might be a little tricky. She'd have to disable him first, and then there was the task of transmuting that stone hand off of him. She wasn't the best at alchemy and she wasn't too sure about asking Edward to do it.

 _Well, it's worth a shot. Not that there's a lot of time for us left,_ she thought.

The blunette opened her eyes and stepped up to the stone hand holding Richard hostage. "Gonna paralyze me?" he questioned. She didn't answer, and didn't leave much time for more talk. With a light tap to the temple, the man was quick to fall unconscious. She stopped the excessive flow of chakra to her finger, just in time for it to go unnoticed by the two boys.

Edward gasped. "Wha... what did you do to him?!"

"Knocked him unconscious. He'll be up in a few hours, so don't worry. This will make it easier to carry him to headquarters if he's not aware," she explained.

The two just stared at her.

"Now," she began, taking a step back. The girl turned to Edward and she smiled sheepishly. "Umm... do you mind transmuting the stone hand off of Richard?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Can't you do it? You're an alchemist."

"I... don't have anything to draw a transmutation array with," she admitted.

"Alright..." He looked even more confused. Sharing a look with his brother, he finally nodded in okay and clapped his hands, slamming it onto the ground. The familiar blue sparks in reaction to the transmutation flared to life before finally residing as the stone hand holding Richard went back into the ground. The criminal's body smacked against the hard ground as he was set free.

"Thank you," she said.

Moving to the still body, Hinata bent down and grunted in effort as she pulled him up onto her good shoulder. Alphonse was immediately at her side. "Here, let me do it," he offered, extending two hands. Hinata looked ready to protest. "Your shoulder's hurt, right? I'll take him for you. I'd feel bad if you took him when I could've done it."

The girl smiled. "Alright, thank you," she said.

Alphonse nodded and took Richard's body into his arms. He stood, his armor creaking with the action, and Hinata followed his example, moving to get the backpack she had thrown unceremoniously to the side in her battle with Richard. "We should hurry. It's getting dark now and I imagine you two would like to get up early tomorrow for the train ride to Liore."

"Right."

* * *

 **TissueCube:** To be honest, I do find it discouraging that there's so little reviews. It makes me wonder if there really are people who are reading and enjoying this story. But as long as I get at least one review, I'm satisfied. There isn't much I can do for those who read and review besides updating, so I'm taking the time in replying to my reviewers as a way of thanks. I enjoy the opportunity to chat with people on here! As for changing the title, yes I have thought of it. The problem is that I don't know of a good name. Like right now, I'm still trying to think of one despite already changing the title because I don't think it's a good substitute. If you've got any ideas, I'd love to hear them! I'll try not to rush my stories, though that might mean really slow updating. Finals are coming up for me and so I'll have to study for them. Thank you so much for reviewing! I swear, it's reviewers like you that keep me writing :)

 **AN:** Like always, if you guys have any questions, feel free to review them. I'll respond to them in a way that won't (hopefully) give out spoilers. Well, I really doubt I'm gonna get much so... Hmm, I don't know. I think maybe I'll challenge you guys! Yeah, actually, I'll do that! _All my readers._ You don't have to accept it, but I do hope a number of you guys at least consider it.

 **Here's the challenge!** From now on until three days after you read this, review every single thing you read on this site. If it's a story that you really like or really don't like, review! Tell them what you like/dislike about it. Give them some advice if you can. Just give some feedback to the story you read. Chapters, even! Every chapter you read, make sure to review them. Give the authors some love! Give the story some love! Let the author know that their writing is for nothing and there are people reading that love it!

 _Just review!_

Don't worry, I'll take the same challenge as you! I'll even put up proof on the next update of which stories/chapters I've reviewed if you guys don't believe I'll do it!

You don't have to start with this story if you really don't want to, but in case you want to and just aren't sure of what to review, read the last few bits I just wrote. If that still doesn't give you an idea, then I'll give you a question. Related to Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood, of course. I'll even answer it too if that makes you readers feel better about answering it!

 **Question:** Which Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood opening do you like and why?

My Answer: From the original, I like the first opening. Melissa, I believe it's called? It has a nice and catchy beat and the lyrics are great! Definitely one of my all time favorite openings. For Brotherhood, I'd have to say... opening 3: Golden Time Lover. It's such a beautiful song and describes the season so greatly! I mean, if you see the lyrics, it's almost like a little (or big) spoiler of what's happening during the third season. And come on, the song is just beautiful!


	5. Prevaricator

**Edit:** 6/55/2015 - Changed up a few things I didn't like or accidentally made a mistake of. It's only a little, though I recommend those who've read the previous unedited version to read this as it may or may not contain important information.

* * *

Hinata's was up bright and early the next day. Upon Alphonse's insistence, she'd gone to the hospital yesterday straight after handing Richard Shultz in. The boy kept fidgeting and begging through the whole trip to headquarters and until she finally left; he was so worried about her wound that he looked ready to pick her up himself and rush her to the hospital. Edward, on the other hand, barely spoke a word about it, instead just watching the mini argument she'd had with Alphonse about it not being serious. She might've said he even felt worried for her himself, though their relationship was still debatable. So far, he didn't look ready to become friends, let alone trust her.

With her shoulder now cleaned and taken care of, she headed to meet up with the Elrics at the train station. If she were to be honest, she felt a little disappointed that Edward still wasn't trusting of her. She thought that maybe they'd be closer now - at least to as close as she was with Alphonse. Instead, he gave her no chances to show him she could be trustworthy. Finally she was traveling with someone once more, and that person just had to hate her, didn't he? She only hoped that the tension between the two would lessen some soon.

Throwing those worries out the proverbial window, she focused on more important things at the moment. She and the Elrics brothers were planned to head to Liore. For what reason, she had no clue. She could only assume, but she felt she'd only get a lie, or half truth if she were lucky, if she tried to ask. The two weren't known to tell her their secrets and motives.

She didn't mind it as much as many might think, though. It wasn't in her to pry. Besides, it would all be revealed soon now that the three were working with each other. Not every secret can be left hidden when for long with others. And the two were doing her a favor by going to Liore. It's only a small one that was still growing, but there's a rumor of a priest who's able to perform unbelievable miracles. One miracle spoken of was that of being able to turn a flower into stone. If it were just alchemy, that shouldn't be possible because of the law of Equivalent Exchange. This had her wondering if it really was miracles the priest was performing.

 _So really, they're helping me by going there. I wouldn't have been able to go so soon if I hadn't been assigned to them,_ she thought.

The military loved to give her so much work which constantly kept her busy. With her schedule, the soonest time she would have been able to go to Liore was probably... half a year to a year - and that was if she was lucky. She rarely got free time nowadays. From fulfilling the Fuhrer's orders to Colonel Mustang's, both men kept her incredibly busy. She should be thanking the Elrics, really.

'Edward Alphonse, good morning," Hinata greeted upon sighting them, giving a small wave.

Despite it being so early in the morning, the train station was packed with people. With how crowded the place was, Hinata was amazed she'd been able to find Edward and Alphonse so easily. Then again, the two did stand out. Or rather, Alphonse stood out with that large armor of his. The two boys gave a wave back, the effort behind it varying between brother.

"Yo."

"Good morning, Hinata. How are you doing?"

Hinata smiled at the two brothers. The shorter was ready to flop down and sleep at any moment, while the other looked ready to face the day. Well, Alphonse's armor made it appear so, she couldn't really tell how he was feeling with his face invisible. "I'm doing fine, thank you. How about you two? Did you sleep well?"

"Yup, great!"

The train rolled in not long after. Boarding it, Hinata couldn't help feel excited to get to Liore. This was almost like a mini vacation for her!

* * *

"I don't mean to bug, but it's not healthy to stay up so late. Especially to be reading in this poor light."

Pausing in her reading, Hinata looked up at the boy in metal. The natural lights were nowhere to be found with the sun's setting. Now past midnight, it was amazing that she could even make out the black writing on the paper in her hands. But with eyes as unique as hers, it wasn't too much trouble. With most of the passengers asleep now, Edward being one of them, it helped her focus solely on the task at hand. She hadn't realized how late it was, though. How surprising that Alphonse wasn't sleeping yet either.

"I could say the same for you," she shot back.

"Huh?"

"You're up as well."

"Oh, uh..."

"Can't sleep?"

"Uh, yeah... you could say that."

"Is it nightmares?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I guess..."

He was lying, Hinata could tell. She didn't pry about it, though. It was obvious the boy didn't want to say, so she wouldn't push him to. Leaning back against her chair, Hinata focused once more on the file in her hand. The sharp pain at her thigh had her yelping and she covered her mouth with her free hand to keep herself from screaming, startled. Edward moaned his sleep, turning for a better position. Two legs smacked on top of her lap, one heavier than the other. Frozen in fear of waking him up, she waited until the boy was satisfied with his position.

Hinata sighed in relief. "I thought I woke him up or something," she muttered.

Alphonse gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry about that, brother tosses and turns a lot in his sleep."

"No, it's fine. It's mild compared to some people I know. I didn't expect him to use my lap as leg rests though," she said with a light laugh.

Looking down at the sleeping face of the blond, she couldn't help but smile serenely. He looked so much different now that he was asleep. "It's nice to see him without that scowl of his for once. He looks his age now that he's sleeping so peacefully. Hard to believe he's only fifteen years old. By the way, Alphonse. How old are you? I know from the reports what age Edward is, but there isn't much about you."

"I'm fourteen," Alphonse replied.

"That's only a year younger than Edward," she mused. Who would have thought? Alphonse certainly didn't look to be that young with how large his body was. "Must get on Edward's nerves to know that his younger brother's taller than him despite being younger."

"Oh yeah. It can get annoying at times. But it can also be funny seeing people mistaken us."

As if in response to that statement, Edward snorted loudly and shifted in his spot.

Hinata couldn't hold in the wince. She laughed along with Alphonse, though both quickly shut their mouths when someone down the aisle yelled for them to keep quiet.

"By the way, what were you reading?" Alphonse asked almost hesitantly after a moment of peaceful silence.

"I'm reviewing a case I got before I was assigned to accompany you and Edward," she replied.

"Oh."

At the small fidgeting of the boy in metal's fingers, Hinata could tell he wanted more information on it. She couldn't keep the smile from pulling the corners of her lips upwards. Edward's feet were currently wrinkling and squishing the folders she had set down before chatting with Alphonse, and she frowned in dismay. So much for keeping them nice and neat. With careful hands, Hinata Edward's metal leg up and slipped the papers from under him, before setting the metal back down on the seat. Edward only muttered quietly in his sleep, informing Hinata she had not awoken him. Now in her hands, she opened the first folder.

"It's a case about a terrorist who infiltrated Amestris from Aerugo. The border guards were found killed, most likely by him, and only found a good two weeks after when we believe the incident occurred. Seven people were estimated killed or missing before the terrorist was noticed and by the time I'd gotten him, that number rose to twenty-four. After a long interrogation, it was revealed his mission had been to infiltrate Central Headquarters and kill a large number of the higher brass. As well as, the Fuhrer. But should he get caught, he was to suicide bomb and take out a large number of people with him. I was lucky enough to have stopped him before any of that could happen.

"That's..." the boy trailed off. His armor creaked and Hinata looked up at him as he spoke, "But if he's already been stopped, how come you're still looking through the case?"

"To be honest, I've got some suspicion that he may not have come along, but with a small party. That's why I'm looking it over again."

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just strange to me how one man can sneak between the border and kill more than half a dozen of people before finally being noticed. Not only that, but it shouldn't have been so easy for him to kill off the border guards and make it all the way to South City without news going out until two weeks after. It was reported that one of the guards killed had his weapon stolen, but the only weapon the terrorist carried was a sword. I could just be over thinking it and the terrorist had just discarded the gun along the way. I can't shake off the odd feeling I'm getting from this case," she told him.

Hinata shut the file closed and set it down on the seat, exchanging it for the one about Richard Shultz. "There's also this one," she continued. "The man - Richard Shultz - had mentioned something telling him something about me, implying that he's working with someone. I have to wonder if he really does have some affiliation to Isaac McDougal, or if it's someone else entirely."

"I don't think you should worry yourself too much about it, it's not healthy. If there is more to this, I know you'll be able to figure it out," he assured her.

"Yes, I hope so," she mumbled. _He really is a sweet kid,_ she thought. Deciding not to talk more on that subject, Hinata set the folder back down and gave a sigh. "By the way, Alphonse. I've heard about you and your brother. You two are really popular, aren't you? And strong, too."

"Yeah, I guess we are. Brother's popular especially. He is a genius in alchemy, after all."

"He can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, right?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, that's right! Besides someone else I know, he's the only on I've heard that can do it. I really is amazing! I'm kinda jealous because I can't do it without making a transmutation circle. How about you, Hinata? Brother and I have heard about the Gentle Fist Alchemist a few times while on our travels, but there isn't much information on you. You're one of the youngest state alchemists like brother too, right?"

Hinata laughed bashfully. "I guess I am considered one of the younger State Alchemists. I wouldn't say I'm great at alchemy, though."

"How do you fight then?"

"I actually just use my hands. I'm much better at hand-to-hand fighting, so I like to stick to that. Well, either way, I can't compare to Edward and you. I'm positive that both of you brothers are incredible. If the glimpse I caught of your guys' fighting yesterday was anything to go by, I'm definitely looking forward to see you both in action."

Alphonse laughed much like she had done a moment ago, rubbing the back of his head timidly.

"Anyway, we should be heading to bed now. There's only a few hours left until we arrive in Liore and getting some sleep will do both of us good," Hinata said. She picked up the two files off the seat and carefully pushed them into her backpack where they would be safe from harm. A tired yawn escaped from her parted lips and she covered her mouth with a hand.

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Goodnight Hinata."

"Goodnight Alphonse."

With that, she left for bed.

* * *

The land surrounded by sand - otherwise known as Liore. It reminded her of Sunagakure; the sun's merciless rays burned at anything in its touch, slowly roasting its victims alive. The breeze that rolled by did nothing to help the blazing temperature cool. Hinata wiped her sweaty forehead and heaved a sigh. A fair distance behind her was Edward, dragging his feet through the sand while wheezing loudly. Alphonse stood in the middle of the two, waiting for his brother to catch up. Compared to her, the young blond looked ready to fry.

 _I told him he should prepare for the temperature but he wouldn't listen,_ she thought.

The smile that pulled her lips upwards could not be contained. As much as she felt sorry for Edward's unfortunate state, she couldn't help but also find it amusing. Before making it to the closest train station to Liore, Hinata had told him to put on lighter, more fitting clothes. Instead, in his stubbornness, he'd told her he'd be fine and she shouldn't worry about him. He was probably regretting it now.

She would be if she was in his situation.

"Brother, are you alright? I think we should stop here and rest. You need to keep yourself hydrated," Alphonse suggested.

"I'm..." Edward huffed, stumbling on sand, "I'm fine...! Just... just a little tired."

Hinata pulled the opening of her beige cloak apart and slipped her backpack off her shoulders. Digging inside, she took out a warm bottle of water. _It's hot, but it's better than nothing,_ she thought.

"Here Edward, you should drink this. It's good to keep yourself from dehydrating," Hinata said. She stopped in front of him, forcing him to stop lest he bump into her, and offered the bottled water. "You have two metal limbs too, right? They must be pretty hot by now. I'm feeling tired myself, so why not take a short break?"

He nodded after a moment and took the bottle from her with a huff, obviously not pleased. Flopping down on the sand, he muttered a small thanks and opened the lid, gulping down the contents in rapid speed. Hinata was tempted to tell him to slow down, but decided for this time she'd leave it. No doubt he'd just tell her not to worry as always. She looked to Alphonse, who followed his brother's example. _I wonder how he's doing in this heat?_

Hinata sat down as well, completing the messy triangle. She took another bottle from her backpack and took a sip, much slower than Edward did. "I think Liore's only ten minutes away now," she said.

"Should be. We've been walking for a while so we've got to be close by now," Alphonse agreed.

Edward heaved a sigh. "Man, I can't wait until we get there! Any longer and I'll get burns from my automail," he whined.

"This is why Hinata and I told you to better prepare yourself for the desert! Geez, you never listen, do you?" Alphonse said.

His brother just laughed sheepishly.

"Umm, I've been wondering about something for a while now," Hinata began. She waited until the two were paying attention before continuing, "I'm supposed to be helping you guys on your journey, but I have no idea what it is you guys are trying to look for. Is there a specific reason you want to get to Liore?"

"..."

She furrowed her brows, confused at the sudden change in atmosphere. Had she said something to offend them?

"Actually," Alphonse started nervously. He looked to his brother for help.

Edward nodded. "I guess we should tell you since you'll be working with us. Not like we'll be able to keep it a secret for long anyway. The thing we're looking for is the Philosopher's Stone."

The Philosopher's Stone? Hinata couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"That's because we heard it's a legendary stone able to bypass the laws of Equivalent Exchange. We want to know if it's really true and so that's why we're going to Liore. There's a priest there rumored to be able to turn a flower into stone and we think that it might be related to the Philosopher's Stone, right Al?" Edward said.

 _That's not the whole truth,_ she thought.

However, she didn't push it. She wasn't the type to pry into other people's business. As long as no one got hurt in the process she wouldn't stop them. Besides, she was sure it would come out sooner or later. Smiling, she gave a nod in understanding. "I see. To be honest, I'm curious about the stone, too. I don't know if it's really real, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. I just hope you guys know that there's a high chance it's only a fairy tale. Don't put too much hope on it."

"Yeah, we know," Alphonse replied.

The three stayed like that for a few minutes longer. Once Edward felt he had rested enough, the three continued their trek to the town with the blond leading the way. Hinata snuck a glance at the two brothers, wondering what their true motives were.

* * *

Liore was an interesting city, if nothing more. Despite being far in the desert under the intense sun, they were a happy bunch of people. If nothing else, the place reminded her a lot of Sunagakure, only smaller and living by a religion. The people bustled down the streets and the welcoming atmosphere had Hinata thinking of the Hughes family. She sipped at the water she'd gotten from the small shop the three were at, relishing the cool liquid as it ran down her throat. Her keen ears listened to the man on the radio, a little intrigued by his words.

"God's children who live upon this land. Have faith in thee and ye shall be saved. Those who have lost their way, the sun god Leto shall shine a..."

"So what are you guys, street performers?" the bartender asked.

Hinata smiled in amusement when Edward spluttered, choking on his orange juice.

"Do we look like street performers to you?!" Edward questioned.

"Why do you think I asked? I mean the lady's fine, but you two have some strange sense of fashion," he continued.

Edward's brow twitched. He huffed and set the orange juice down on the bar with a small thud. "Let's get going you two."

The girl didn't argue. She set down her drink and hopped off her stool. The fact that Edward's head barely reached over the top of the bar had her resisting the urge to chuckle. _He really is short, isn't he?_ she thought. Then again, she wasn't much taller than him so she had no room to talk.

The bang of metal against wood had Hinata looked up, just in time to see the radio she'd just been listening to fall and smash into the ground. Pieces of wood chipped off the radio went sailing through the air, knocking against anything in its path. Hinata furrowed her brows, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Well that wasn't good. She was a little surprised that Alphonse had knocked it over, but had to remind herself that he was almost two times the size of Edward so it shouldn't have been.

"Hey, easy! I didn't mean nothin' by it!" the bartender yelled.

"Sorry, sorry. It was an accident. We'll fix it," Edward reassured.

The bartender was skeptical. "How's that? It's smashed to hell."

"Watch and learn gramps."

Hinata stepped back at the sight of Edward doing so. Having said what he did, she was surprised to see Alphonse being the one take up the job. The boy in metal took out a piece of chalk from the beige holder strapped to his right thigh. She leaned in closer, watching with interest as he drew an array on the ground before picking up the pieces of the radio and gentle set it on top of the transmutation circle.

"Okay, here it goes," he said, standing.

With his hands together in front of him, the circle glowed an eerie blue and familiar sparks streaked through the air in reaction to the transmutation. With a flash and a puff of dust, the radio sat looking brand new with no trace of it ever being broken. Hinata let out a sound of amazement and clapped along with the crowd. Alphonse really was a good alchemist like his brother. This only made her eager to see more.

"There. See? As good as new," Edward boasted.

He was sparkling with pride.

"It's a miracle! You've been touched by the sun god Leto like Father Cornello," the bartender praised in awe.

And the sparkles were gone.

Edward deflated. "Touched by who now?"

"That wasn't a miracle. It was alchemy," Alphonse explained.

"Alchemy, huh?"

"Yeah, I think I've heard of them before."

Edward hummed and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. "Then maybe you've heard of us."

"We're the Elric brothers," Alphonse said.

 _Here it goes again,_ Hinata thought.

Just in case they really did get it wrong, she didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Taking a few steps back as the crowd murmured amongst themselves, she made sure she was far enough away from the two brothers. She'd seen how Edward reacted to being called short a few times now. This time, she wasn't going to step in. Her shoulder was still injured, after all.

And just as she had predicted, the small crowd of people had mixed up which Elric was rich. A short moment later and Edward was on the people for calling him small. Hinata only watched in amusement and pity for the people.

Oh she was so awful to do this to them.

* * *

"So, what's with this guy on the radio?" Edward asked.

It'd taken a few minutes to finally calm the blond down. By the end of it, the people were on the floor and scared for their lives. Hinata felt sorry for not stepping in, but at the same time glad she had been spared from Edward's wrath. Poor, poor people.

In response to the blond's question, they people explained of Father Cornello and how he'd come to the town one day preaching of the sun god Leto. She couldn't help but frown when they mentioned him being able to resurrect the dead, among other things. His miracles must be pretty convincing if so many peopled believed those words. As far as she was aware, the dead could not be brought back to life, no matter what.

The Elrics seemed to share her opinion on that.

"So he claims to be able to bring the dead back to life? Now that's something I've gotta see," Edward muttered.

"Will he be performing miracles anytime soon?" Hinata asked.

The bartender, now up on his feet along with the others, nodded. "Yeah, actually. There's one in about an hour. You're welcome to come and see if you'd like," he replied.

The three alchemists shared a look. Hinata pursed her lips. "What do you guys say? Want to go and see?"

"Of course. I want to see it with my own eyes for confirmation," Edward said.

Alphonse agreed.

* * *

From far at the end of the large crowd gathered for the miracle gathering, Hinata watched the man known as Father Cornello perform his 'miracles'. She grunted, rubbing fingers gingerly against her burning forehead. The familiar sensation of a blossoming migraine had her wishing she could take some sort of pain killers. It wasn't uncommon for her to get headaches on a regular bases. This one, however, felt like the more uncommon headaches she'd get on occasion that left her head in agony.

Ignoring the pain, Hinata glanced at the two brothers conversing quietly with each other. No doubt they were coming to the same conclusion as her. This was definitely not some miracle being performed. The sparks and the faint lull that came with it were identical to those of alchemic reactions. He was just using alchemy in disguise of fake miracles.

Though there was a problem with this. The fact he was bypassing the Laws of Equivalent Exchange had her in slight doubt of that conclusion. He shouldn't be able to transmute an organic matter into an inorganic matter. Besides that, that single flower didn't have an equal mass as the stone flower he'd transmuted on himself. This wasn't right at all.

"This has to be the work of a Philosopher's Stone," Edward muttered.

Hinata furrowed her brows in skepticism. She'd only read about the legendary stone in the the few alchemy books that featured it. It was supposed to be a powerful stone able to bypass all laws of alchemy and perform the impossible - like human transmutation and the creation of something out of nothing. It was what Father Cornello was doing, definitely. But could it really be true? Was he really using the legendary stone - the Philosopher's Stone?

From the first moment she'd heard of it, Hinata had always thought it that: a legend. Just a bedtime story told to children. To think it could actually be real...

The girl frowned. _I don't have a good feeling about this,_ she thought.

This just spelled trouble.

* * *

After the miracle gathering Edward had suggested they check out the church. Hinata couldn't help but ponder on what she'd seen and she worried that this would turn into more than just a little visit to search for the Philosopher's Stone. It was amazing to know that the Philosopher's Stone might really exist, but Hinata was't sure about searching into it more. What if it turned into a fight over the stone?

"Hopefully that won't happen," she muttered to herself.

Upon making it to the church, Hinata couldn't help but halt and gaze at the building with glazed eyes. A city located in the desert and its residents worshiping an otherworldly being, this place reminded her a little of Ishvala. It wasn't hard for the trained eyes to tell she was nervous being here. She still hadn't come to terms with what she'd done in Ishvala and the reminder of it all was more than unpleasant.

"Hey Hinata, you coming?" Alphonse called.

The blunette nodded solemnly and headed inside after the boys. The inside looked bigger than the outside and she mentally gawked at how beautiful it was. Wooden benches stretched from each side of the room to the center to leave a small gap for people to walk through, and placed in neat rows from the back to the front. It was simple in its beauty, with a few intricate decorations placed around the room. At the front stood a tall statue of a bearded man holding a staff with his other hand pressed to his chest in a fist. In front of the statue was a table with candles, a woman knelt by it.

"So this is the almighty Leto," Edward said.

The girl gasped and stood, twirling to face the three foreigners. Hinata blinked in surprise at seeing the odd coloring of the girl's hair. "Hello and welcome. Are you interested in Letoism?" the girl asked.

"Nope, not really. I'm not the religious type," Edward replied.

"That's too bad. To believe in god is to live in hope and gratitude. It's all things through him that are possible," the girl said. She paused. "If you believe... I'm sure god will bless you and make you grow taller!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Edward growled out.

Alphonse was quick to hold him back before he lashed out. "Easy brother, she didn't mean it in a bad way."

Hinata tried hard not to laugh out loud.

* * *

The girl's name turned out to be Rose. After getting Edward to calm down, Hinata introduced herself to Rose. After voicing her curiosity in the religion, Rose went full preacher on Hinata and talked about all the great things of Leto. Hinata kinda regretted saying anything, as Rose didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. She didn't have it in herself to stop the girl, though.

Edward, however, was a different matter.

Upon hearing that resurrection of the dead was possible if one believed and prayed for it, the blond had enough. "Resurrecting the dead... do you seriously believe in something like that?"

"Yes, I do," Rose said.

Edward sighed.

Hinata frowned. She knew for a fact that it wasn't possible. The dead just couldn't be brought to life. But the girl actually believed it could be done, and that had Hinata pitying her. She'll be so heartbroken when it doesn't happen.

"Water, 35 L. Carbon, 20 kg. Ammonia, 4 L. Lime, 1.5 kg..."

The blunette raised an eyebrow, regarding the Fullmetal Alchemist with a confused stare. He continued on, either ignoring or not sensing the sudden stares at him. When he came to the end of his list, he bowed his head so his bangs covered a good portion of his eyes. Hinata's lips pursed together and she got the idea he was thinking of his past.

He went on, questioning the power of miracles. While he ranted, Hinata silently made her way to Alphonse, who stood quiet throughout the whole exchange. "Is your brother alright?" she whispered the question.

"Don't worry, he's fine. He just doesn't like the thought of others believing that reviving the dead is possible," Alphonse replied.

"Bad experience in the past?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Hinata nodded in understanding. That was the final piece of the puzzle. If anything, this little bit of information gave answers to many of her questions. There was much more to the Elrics than she first thought there to be. She could only feel sympathy for the two brothers. It must've been a hard life for them to live, and they were so young, too!

"-and he came crashing back to earth. Right, Al?" Edward said.

 _Oops, I tuned him out,_ Hinata thought.

"Brother..." Alphonse muttered.

Edward let out a small huff and pushed himself to his feet. "I'm sorry miss, but do you think the almighty Leto could save a scientist like me, even after those thoughts?" he questioned. He gave, in Hinata's opinion, a mock bow.

"Of course! The creator accepts any reformers at any time," Rose said.

Hinata had a really bad feeling about this...

* * *

 **AN:** Hey guys, so how many of you actually did the challenge I made last update? I know I did, though I admit I didn't really do much reading and reviewing between then and now. School, work, and this chapter had me too busy to really get into the challenge. But I did do it! If you guys don't believe, check out the reviews for _Daughter of Compassion._ It's only for the first three chapters (if I remember correctly) and I plan to read/review more, but that was all I could get to. I didn't stray from this category, as you can see, but it's disappointing that there isn't a lot of stories with Hinata as the protagonist here. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Like always, if you guys have any questions or anything, feel free to send them in. I'll try to respond to all of them if I can. Thank you to those who at least gave the challenge a try. I know there's been a decrease in reviews, in all stories, and it's a little sad that not so many people care to give feedback anymore. I'm sure the authors of the stories you reviewed are happy, or I hope so. I'm happy to get reviews, I know that!

 **Guest:** Thanks, I'm so relieved to hear I've got the characters IC. To be honest, that was my biggest concern. I'm not used to writing with these characters so it is challenging, but I do enjoy it! I see that your favorites for both series are my second favorites :D I totally agree with you. The visuals for _Period_ was just fantastic. I'm completely in love with that opening and _Golden Time Lover!_

 **lily:** Hehe, that would have been awkward... I'm glad you didn't report me, even more glad that I put that AN on the first chapter. I actually didn't really think it would be needed, but boy was I wrong. Thanks, I'll do my best to not disappoint! :)

 **LuckyDulce:** Well here's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed it! The next one will be up soon :)

 **Ednewgate:** No, she didn't lie. Konoha does exist in this world, as well as the other villages. Eh, I can't have her all that powerful. This leaves some room for improvement. Besides, I find that Hinata's the easily flustered type. Put in that she probably rarely hears that kinds of things in the middle of fights, I think she'd be caught even a little off guard. I'll try not to get discouraged, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the reviews. Thanks for the encouraging words and I hope to not disappoint you or my other readers! :)

 **Wanderstar:** I'm so glad to hear that! It's nice knowing people enjoy this story and I hope to not disappoint everyone :)

 **Pain of the Immortals:** Really, that's great to hear! I'm glad that someone's taken my challenge. I've actually heard of NeonZangetsu and am curious about his work, though haven't gotten the courage to check them out for that reason. Unfinished stories are disappointing because it means I got all hyped up for one only for it to turn out it'll forever be incomplete and I won't be able to find out what happens next in it. Another active writer of this site I know of is Uchiha B, who's got a lot of stories and most of them left incomplete. Both of them are great writers from what I've seen that many enjoy reading from. I'll have to check their works out soon just to see if I can find anything I really like. I hope not to be that writer that leaves unfinished projects. Thank you for the review!

 ** _~Review~_**


	6. The Priest of Liore

People lined the streets, even more exuberant than when Hinata and the boys had first come. The miracle gather got the people celebrating, all smiles and sunshine. Looking around, Hinata had to wonder if the priest Cornello was really bad. He may be lying to the people about performing his 'miracles', but everyone was enjoying themselves. Even in her home village, it wasn't as lively and welcoming as the atmosphere here. Pardon Naruto really being the only one to liven things up with his zealousness.

Still, this was an amazing sight to see only smiling faces and pleasant chattering.

 _The priest Cornello might not be so bad if he's able to do this,_ she thought.

"This sure is a great city," Hinata murmured. "Makes me want to stay here forever in this lively energy."

"No objections from me if you want to. The more people the better," Rose said.

"I might just do that someday. The only concern is the heat, but that's not something I can't handle," Hinata replied.

"Well make sure to come see me straight away if you decide on it. I'll be happy to give you a tour and a place to stay," Rose told her.

The two laughed. Sneaking a glance behind her, Hinata smiled lopsidedly. Not surprising really, but Edward didn't look to be enjoying himself much. The usual scowl on his face had her wondering if it really was because of the people here or the heat that had him feeling sour. Alphonse, she had no clue how he was feeling. It was the downside to the armor he always had on. She could hardly tell his feelings, needing to rely on the tone of voice he used when he spoke.

"Geez, what's with all these people. Don't they know what 'It's too freaking hot to be so happy' is? How can they stand the heat? I'm roasting over here," Edward complained under his breath.

"Well they do live here so they're used to it," Alphonse stated.

Taking a few paces back, Hinata leaned close to the blond. "Maybe next time you'll take my advice and wear more appropriate clothing for the climate. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the heat so much," she told him.

Edward's brow twitched and a vein throbbed. "Oh shut up. I don't need you telling me what to do," he shot back, huffing in irritation.

An exchange of looks with Alphonse and she couldn't hold in the laughter anymore. The two others joined her in the mirth, much to the blond's annoyance.

"Looks like the saying is true, short people are always angry," Rose teased.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET SO SHORT HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING HITTING HIM BECAUSE HE CAN JUST SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS IN PARTICLES?!" Edward shrieked in fury.

The three laughed once more and, sensing that the blond was a second from beating them to a bloody pulp for that comment, Rose ran for her life. "Hey, your words not mine!" she yelled back to the blond now chasing after her.

"GET BACK HERE!" Edward yelled after her.

Hinata exchanged a look with Alphonse. "You said something about finding it funny seeing Edward angry at being called short?"

"Uh... hehehe," he laughed sheepishly. "We should get going before we lose them."

* * *

It didn't take them long to get to the building Cornello inhabited at their quick pace. Rose came to a complete halt in her running and grinned up at the building, forcing the now a little calmer Edward to stop as well or risk slamming into her. The two others were quick to catch up and all three stared at the grandiose place.

"Here it is. This is where Father Cornello lives," Rose said. She twirled on her heels to face the two brothers and Hinata. "Come on, I'm sure Father Cornello will love to see you three. If anyone can help lead you to the creator's life, it's him!"

The girl gave an excited laugh and jogged up to the building, a skip in her step. Hinata exchanged a look with the brothers, before turning to follow after her new friend at a more leisurely pace. Her lips curled up into a smile, amused by Rose's enthusiasm. The three made their way up the stairs and stopped a few paces behind Rose, who was chatting eagerly with a man. Upon noticing the three had caught up, she turned her body and gestured to them.

"Here, Brother Cray. These are the three I was talking about. They're interested in Letoism and have come with me to meet with Father Cornello. They're unsure though, and that's why I brought them here. I know Father Cornello can convince them of the savior's light and grace," Rose said.

Hinata bowed to the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hey," Edward greeted, raising a hand in a lazy wave.

"Hello there," Alphonse greeted.

"And who might you three be?" Cray asked.

"We're the Elrics brothers," Edward replied.

"Hinata Hyuga," Hinata introduced.

The man pursed his lips. For a moment, Hinata thought he would turn them away. For so long he just stared at the three, in particular at Alphonse. However, he surprised her by nodding and saying, "Alright, I'll talk with Father Cornello and see what I can do. Be aware that he is very busy and might not have time at this moment. I'll be right back, please wait here."

The four watched him leave inside the building. Hinata pursed her lips. She'd taken a headache pill to stop the pain in her head, and it had worked... for a while. Now she could feel it, dull at the moment, but poking at her brain enough that she couldn't help but notice it. The foreboding grip at her heart had her troubled as well. Sometimes, she'd get this feeling back at Central, but those were rare. Perhaps this was a warning of some sort? She didn't like it at all.

There was also the newly formed issue of the Philosopher's Stone that was nagging at her. If it really was real and in the possession of Cornello, than everything changed. She couldn't very well leave it here to be misused. The military would need to know about it, so she had to report the important information. She had before considered not reporting the lying priest, not wanting the military to get involved and possibly make things worse. However, now she might really have to do it. She just couldn't lie about the Philosopher's Stone, could she?

Now, the military would have her head if such information was left out of her report. She might be somewhat important to them because of her skills, but they wouldn't hesitate to cut her off - even imprison her because she had lied to them. The stone was too powerful to leave alone. It needed to be dealt with appropriately, she the military would have to get involved whether she liked it or not.

But she didn't like it.

 _What should I do?_ she wondered.

Through her peripherals she see the two boys whispering to each other and she furrowed her brows. Should she tell them her worries? Would they even understand if they really didn't wish to involve the military in this that they'd seriously get in trouble if it got kept out? Did they have a plan? Honestly, there was so many questions in her head concern them and this place. She wished to just leave it be and let them handle it. She just didn't know what to do.

 _I'll just leave it for now and think about it later. Maybe then I'll find what to do,_ she thought.

Cray came back soon enough. After allowing them admittance inside, he led them down several hallways and stopped at two intricately designed doors. Hinata's apprehension only grew the further they went inside. She kept a careful eye on her surroundings, noting the many guards stationed inside the building. The door to the room inside opened and Cray led the four in. Hinata blinked, looking around. It was so dimly lit with the few lights spread around the room. The brightest was up the stairs at the front of the room, but no one appeared to be there.

"As I said earlier, Father Cornello is a very busy man. But you're in luck, he's decided to spare you a moment," Cray said.

"Yeah, sorry for the trouble. We won't take much of his time," Edward assured, a smirk playing his youthful features.

Hinata's brows furrowed and she frowned. _Where's the high priest?_

"Good, then we'll make this quick." A click sounded and Cray turned swiftly on his heels, pointing the gun he had hidden at Alphonse.

The blunette moved to help, but the cold metal against the back of her head had her stopping before she could go. She tensed, realizing that one of the guards had a gun to her head and would undoubtedly shoot should she move. Sneaking a glance to the side, she found Edward to be in a similar position as herself, only his two guards held him still with spears. She mentally cursed for not seeing this coming. There was a reason for that foreboding feeling and now she was paying the price for not listening to it.

"Brother Cray, what are you doing?!" Rose questioned.

"Rose, these heathens have come to ensnare the Father. They're evil," Cray said.

"No way, that's..."

 _We haven't even done anything,_ Hinata thought.

"Well, like you said, let's make this quick," Edward said.

There was only a brief moment before one of the men holding Edward hostage was slammed into the ground courtesy of the blond. The other moved to stop Edward, but was too late. With her capture's attention shifted to Edward, Hinata used this chance take him out. Stealing his gun before he could react, her foot slammed into his stomach and sent him flying a good few meters away. The guard groaned, but didn't get up. Hinata prepared to help the boys out, only to find that they'd taken care of their captures. She gave a brief smile, pleased that they'd been able to take care of it by themselves.

"What's with all this noise?" Hinata looked up to the voice and found the man from the miracle gathering up atop the stairs. Cornello stood, grinning. "Ah, welcome to the home of our sacred order, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gentle Fist Alchemist."

"Father Cornello," Rose said in relief.

"I'll have to apologize for my followers' behaviors. It would appear they've been misguided," Cornello apologized.

Edward snorted. "It really doesn't feel like much of an apology with you looking down at us from up there."

"Have you come here to learn the ways of Leto?" Cornello asked.

Hinata's frown deepened and she inched her way to Rose. The foreboding was only increasing and she had the feeling things were going to get bad. The least she wanted to do was make sure Rose would be okay. The girl was just an ordinary girl, there was no way she could defend herself. With Cornello distracted with Edward, Hinata thought this the best chance to get the girl away. She just didn't like this place. "Hey Rose, I think it's best if you get out of here right now. This might not end well and I don't want you getting hurt."

She didn't respond.

The blunette opened her mouth once more, only to shut it as a sharp pain hit her head, knocking her breath out and making her stagger. She clutched her head and looked up to find Cornello had transmuted a statue of Leto. She hadn't even noticed it until now. _I have to pay attention to everything,_ she told herself.

"How's this? Could mere alchemy have created this out of nothing?" Cornello questioned.

"Yeah, that's what concerns me. For some reason, you're able to perform alchemy while completely disregarding the rules," Edward said.

Cornello growled, slamming the bottom of the statue on the railing of the stairs. "Which is why I said it's not alchemy!" he yelled.

"So I started thinking... If you'd somehow obtained a certain legendary amplifier that allows for alchemists to make the impossible possible, it would explain everything..."

"Wha...?"

"Yep, that's it. You have the Philosopher's Stone, don't you? It's that ring right there, isn't it? I've been looking for it for a long time now," Edward said. He was ready to fight over the stone, slowly making his way to the priest.

"This is nothing but an ordinary ring. It is the divine god that has allowed me to perform miracles," Cornello said.

"Still trying to sell that line, huh? Guess I'll have to come up there and beat the truth out of you," Edward exclaimed.

 _This really is going to turn into a fight,_ Hinata thought.

"My, you really are an incorrigible heathen. Rose, dear," Cornello said.

"Y-yes?"

"Pick up that gun beside you," he ordered.

"Uh, okay." The girl bent down to pick up the gun, only for Hinata to grasp her hand, stopping her. Rose gasped. "H-Hinata...?"

"Don't," was the only thing the blunette said. Picking up the gun, Hinata let go of the other girl's hand and took a few steps back. She held it out almost tauntingly. "Sorry, but I'm not letting Rose anywhere near this. For all I know, you're planning for her to shoot someone with it. She's not getting involved in the fight."

"Oh, really? Rose, take the gun from the girl," Cornello demanded.

Rose nodded in uncertainty. "Yes, Father."

"I told you, I'm not letting her get anywhere near this," Hinata repeated. She frowned when Rose came closer, looking almost desperate in her fear and uncertainty.

"Please, Hinata. Give it to me," Rose requested, holding out her hands.

Hinata shook her head and took a step back.

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Hinata, give it here. Father Cornello has asked me to take it."

"No."

Edward hummed in thought at the exchange between the two girls. "Well, everyone's distracted so..." He smirked and charged at the fake priest, arms poised to clap at any second. " Prepare yourself, you fake priest! I'm taking the stone from you!"

"Brother, watch out!"

Alphonse pulled Edward back just in time to save him from the sudden attack of a chimera. Alphonse's cry had her snapping her attention to Edward in concern and she gasped, sighing in relief when Alphonse pulled him out of the way. With her distracted, Rose took this opportunity to jump her. The two girls fell to the ground, Hinata's head slamming hard into the stone and making her moan at the searing pain. Rose took the gun from Hinata's hold and stood, backing a few steps back from the blunette.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. But I had to do this, Father Cornello told me to," Rose apologized, looking genuinely guilty of what she'd just done.

From up atop the stairs, Cornello laughed maniacally. "Huh, did you really think I'd let you so easily? Now, my chimera, get them!"

The chimera gave a mighty roar before charging at the two brothers. Hinata gritted her teeth, wondering what she should do. Get Rose out of here or help the two boys? Cornello made the decision for her.

"Rose, shoot the Fullmetal Alchemist," Cornello ordered, noticing the girl had finally gotten the gun.

Rose gasped in shock. She moved the gun to her chest, horrified and hesitating. Before anything else could happen, Hinata pushed herself to her feet and took hold of the gun. The sudden action had Rose startled and without meaning, the girl fired. Both of them gasped at the accident.

"Edward, Alphonse!"

 _ **Bam!**_

Alphonse's body hit the floor, the helmet to the suit rolling on the ground. Edward cried his brother's name, only to get distracted by the chimera's attack. He grunted, smirking in victory when the chimera couldn't bite through his right arm. With a well aimed kick to its chin, the chimera was sent flying. "Alphonse!" Edward yelling, kneeling beside his brother. "You okay?"

"Good girl, you have done well. The sun god Leto is very pleased with you," Cornello praised. "Now, shoot the other two."

Rose only screamed in horror, the gun dropping harmlessly to the ground. Her legs buckled under her and Hinata easily caught the girl before she could fall. She was on the verge of tears, grasping at Hinata's jacket. "I... I killed him. I really killed him..."

Hinata let out a breath of air, rubbing Rose's back in soothing circles. "Sshh, it's fine," she assured her. Looking to the boys, she worried her bottom lip. "Edward, is Alphonse alright?"

"No worries, he's fine!" Edward called back.

As if to prove this, Alphonse pulled himself up into a seating position, the helmet that was his head gone from its rightful place. "Sheesh, you sure make your followers do terrible things. Don't worry Rose, I'm fine."

Alphonse stood up while Edward fetched the helmet to his head. Rose gasped in Hinata's arms, shocked. "What's going on? I shot him and he's..."

"Don't worry, as you can see, here's pretty solid," Edward said, tapping Alphonse's armor in emphasis.

Alphonse leaned forward and pointed inside his armor, allowing them a view of him... or not him. "Yeah, no harm done."

The grip on Hinata's jacket tightened, the girl clinging to her burying herself even further in the warm cloth. Hinata felt sorry for the girl. This was probably the most horrific thing she'd ever had to go through. So much happened in one day, Rose must feel overwhelmed. Hinata could admit that even she was having a little trouble wrapping her head around everything that's been happening.

"A suit of armor with nothing inside... This is evidence of their evil. They must be eliminated!" Cornello exclaimed. "Get up, chimera. Get those two! Now!"

The chimera stood on its paws once more, giving a mighty growl. Edward tensed, and the two boys turned to the beast charging at them. Hinata's hold tightened on Rose and she bit her bottom lip, wishing to join the fight. The only thing that stopped her was the distressed girl in her arms and the confident smirk on Edward's face. She just had to believe the two could handle this, she told herself.

The chimera clawed at Edward's left leg, only for its claws to snap in half. Edward took this opportunity to knock it back once more, this time hitting it hard enough to knock it unconscious. Rose only trembled more at the sight of Edward's mechanical arm and leg.

"That arm... and a brother without a body..." Cornello grinned in realization. "It's all clear now. You did it, didn't you? The one thing even the most novice of alchemists know is strictly forbidden!"

Edward huffed, taking off his now shredded cloak to reveal the metal limbs he had hidden under them. "Come down here and try me! We'll see who the real novice is," he challenged.

Cornello ignored it. "Rose, this is the punishment for committing the greatest taboo for alchemists: human transmutation. In their arrogance, they tried to revive the dead."

"This is what happens to the sinners who try to play god. Rose, are you prepared to be like this?" Edward questioned.

Cornello laughed derisively. "So this is the great Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. And you call yourself a State Alchemist? Ha, ridiculous!"

"You shut up! You're just a third-rate who can't do anything without a Philosopher's Stone," Edward snapped.

"Father, please hand over the stone before you get hurt," Alphonse asked.

 _This is bad,_ Hinata thought. The fight was going to escalate real quick if it continued like this. She had to get Rose out of here before the girl could get hurt anymore. Already this was a lot, Rose needed to get to safety. Standing, Hinata coaxed the girl into following with a gentle push up. Rose was still in a state of shock, though luckily obeyed the silent request. "Come on, I'm getting you out of here," she whispered to the girl, who nodded in reply.

"That's ridiculous. As if I'd hand it over to fools like you who dared to step into god's territory. I'll send you to meet him, once and for all!" Cornello yelled.

Hinata huffed, pulling Rose away. Red streaks of light flew into the air, Cornello's finger glowing and spreading out until it encased his whole cane, transforming it into a large machine gun. She grunted, the pain in her head increasing until it was unbearable. Hinata stumbled, unable to focus anymore. Two warm arms wrapped themselves around her torso, keeping her up. Before she knew it, everything went black.

* * *

The sun shown low in the sky, encasing the skies with its unearthly light. Orange and purple mixed together, a beautifully painted canvas. Hinata stirred, moaning as her eyes fluttered open. Immediately the light was too much and she shut her eyes, resting a hand on top of them in defense. Pain exploded in her head, a familiar hammer pounding at her brain. For a second nothing made sense. She had no clue where she was, who she was, or anything regarding this world. All she could register was the pain racking her entire body, especially her head.

"Wha... I don..." The words were whispered and incorrigible.

Slowly everything came back to her; arriving at the city of Liore, seeing Cornello at the miracle gathering, meeting Rose, confronting Cornello, and then how everything had just suddenly gone black. Was she alive? She never remembered death feeling this agonizing. Then again, the only time she could say she 'died', she had come straight back to life and felt like hell.

Prying the hand off her eyes, she turned her head to where she felt shade from the harsh glow and heat. Her eyes opened once more, this time more cautiously, and found her sight blocked by something grey. It took her a moment to remember where she'd seen it before, and she held in a gasp at seeing the back of Alphonse's armor. "Where am I?" she muttered to herself.

There was no answer. Hinata assumed she hadn't been heard. Forcing herself to relax, she turned her attention to the darkening sky. Faint voices filtered into her ears and she guessed it was Alphonse by the sound of it. So he was talking with someone. She was fine with this. With his attention, and anyone else's who was here, not on her, it left her some time to think before she was confronted with them. She wanted to clear her head of all the buzzing and the throbbing.

"Oh hey, Hinata! You're finally awake! Are you alright? What happened back there? You just passed out so suddenly. I thought something bad happened to you."

Or maybe not. Hinata opened her eyes - having closed them in an effort to better relax - and found Alphonse's body turned and his glowing eyes staring down at her. A tilt of her head up and she saw that Rose was there too. Must be who he had been talking to. "Sorry, I didn't catch all of that. What's going on?" she found herself asking.

This time it was Rose who spoke, deciding to take the lead. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain. Back there, right when you tried to get me away from the fight, you just suddenly fainted." The girl looked down in guilt. "I'm sorry, you were trying to help me and I just made everything worse," she muttered the last part so softly, Hinata could only make out a few words and even then she didn't get everything.

Right, she remembered it all now. The fog insider her head slowly cleared and she pulled herself up to sit, Alphonse immediately wrapping two arms around her to steady her. "I don't think you should get up. You're still hurting."

Hinata shook her head, only to regret it after. She leaned into Alphonse's warm metal body, letting out a breath. "I'm fine. I'm more worried about you guys. Where's Edward? How are you two doing? You didn't get hurt, did you? It looked like the fight was going to get out of hand."

"Don't worry, no one's hurt. After you fainted, we got both you and Rose out of there and somewhere safe. Ed went back though to deal with Cornello, though. Everything's fine," Alphonse explained.

"I'm... so glad... everyone's okay," she whispered. Her lids felt heavy, like lead. The more she struggled to keep them open, the harder it became. The pounding in her head persisted, though the pain was slow to numb in her fatigue. She could feel herself succumbing to the darkness once more and she decided to willingly give up to it this time. Everyone was fine, so she didn't have to worry anymore.

* * *

The next time she awoke, it was to the hard jostling of a train. There was no light, telling her that the sun had set and she assumed for a long time now. Peaking an eye open, she saw Alphonse and Edward on the opposite side of the train, the latter leaning heavily on the former as he snored. Neither looked injured - in fact, there was no evidence of the previous fight. A close inspection of Edward's tidy and undamaged black shirt told her he had either transmuted a new one, or fixed the old one.

 _I wonder what happened with the priest and the city though,_ she thought, turning away.

She was feeling much better physically and mentally, though there were still a few things nagging at her. The urge to ask questions was strong, but she refrained from doing so. The brothers were asleep and she highly doubted Rose was here, considering the girl lived in Liore. No doubt they were heading back to Central for reporting or somewhere else where the brothers felt needed to go.

"So much for a little vacation," she mused wryly.

It seemed no matter what she did or who she traveled with, something was to happen. There was never a break when it came to her, was there? She sighed and wondered whether she should pull herself up from the bumpy seat or continue to lie on it. It wasn't that bad, especially with the little cushion, even if a bit stiff, acting as a pillow for her head.

Wait...

Hinata carefully rolled onto her side, making sure not to fall off the seat, and lifted herself up on one elbow. She blinked in shock, hesitantly touching the soft fabric on the seat, jostling lightly with each bump of the train. Her hand rubbed against the top of the red cloth, sliding down the fabric to stop at the black insignia staring back at her. Wasn't this...?

"It's Ed's cloak. We thought you'd be uncomfortable with your head just lying on the seat so Ed put that under it to help cushion it."

Hinata jumped, giving out a brief squeak before it was muffled with a hand. Her head whipped to the opposite seat, surprised to find glowing red eyes. From what she got, that meant he was awake. She was more than surprised. "I thought you were sleeping," she managed to mutter. Her cheeks colored a rosy pink. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

He shook his head, metal creaking against metal. "No, it's fine. I wasn't asleep. Can't really sleep, actually... I wasn't going to say anything but you looked like you were confused. Sorry if I startled you," he said.

She smiled, touched by his concern. Forcing herself to sit up, she lifted the smooth fabric up and onto her lap, fingers smoothing out the wrinkles that had snuck their way on. "How come you can't sleep? Overwhelmed or nightmares? If you'd like, I can try and help you," she asked.

The metal helmet shook once more. "No, nothing like that. I just... can't sleep," he replied.

Hinata frowned, concerned. "That's not good for you," she stated. Already she was pushing herself up to get to his side and see what was wrong with him. However, before she could touch the cool metal of his helmet, his hand shot up and gripped her wrist, stopping her. "Alphonse?"

"I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me," he told her.

"But..."

"I said I'm fine. I just _can't_ sleep," he said, not in a rude manner. Just a statement.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding. For a moment she just stood there, leaning towards him with his hand gently grasping her wrist, thinking. That's when it came to her, slowly, and she was finally able to understand. "Sorry," she whispered. Moving back, she waited for Alphonse to let go of her before falling back in her seat. "I... I didn't know. I just thought that... I'm sorry, really."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it by now." _To all of it,_ was left unspoken.

 _That doesn't mean it still hurts,_ she told herself. She didn't voice that thought, though.

"But you know, I'm surprised you're taking this so well. I thought that when you found out the truth, you'd... well, that you'd have more of a reaction," he confessed.

"Believe me, I was shocked when I found out," she admitted.

She remembered how unnerved she felt about a walking, talking, _living_ armor with nothing driving it. At first she had thought it was some kind of genjutsu he used designed to bypass her Byakugan somehow (hence her fear), but then decided against it considering such a jutsu would require a lot of chakra and even alchemists here had enough chakra to be more than civilians with just a little bit more chakra than usual in Konoha.

Still, she had become so suspicious of him and his brother, the only thing keeping her from questioning the two was that Colonel Mustang trusted the two boys. But the urge had been so strong that she'd stayed up half the night thinking whether she should or not. In the end, she'd decided not to do anything. To her, the thing most important at that moment was to get some sleep so she could fight Isaac. If the superiors trusted the boys, than she would put even a little trust in them too. They were still just kids, anyway.

Looking at Edward and Alphonse now, she was glad she hadn't questioned them. Their pasts were tragic and no doubt she would have triggered _something._ Edward was already an insufferable grump and it would have gotten worse - or he would have just left her in the dark. Alphonse wasn't any better in that he was sensitive - of course, not as sensitive as Edward, but he was still a kid.

She would have just reminded them of their pasts and then regretted it later. Besides that, she would have been questioned on how she found out.

 _I'm still gonna get questioned,_ she thought.

"You know, back where I'm from it's said that nothing can escaped from the _all-seeing eyes_ of a Hyuga. The first time I found out was when we stayed at the Hughes." Okay, that was a little of a lie since the first time she found was when she'd just activated her Byakugan while out searching for Isaac. However, it wouldn't make sense to him if she found out because she could see through his armor. The Byakugan was still a secret, after all. Though to be honest, she had suspected something when the two brothers got nervous all of a sudden from a simple question. That hadn't been enough for her to check, though. "It's not hard to figure out if you really paid attention. You two always get jumpy when something involving _eating_ or _body_ gets mentioned."

"Oh..." He chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "I guess we aren't as good at hiding secrets as we thought we were." He paused, as if remembering something. "But wait, if you knew since back then, why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think you guys would appreciate me finding out your biggest secret. Besides, I figured that you guys would tell me eventually. Not everything can stay a secret for too long," she replied.

"I guess, but..." the boy in metal trailed off, as if unsure. "It still would have been nice if you told us. It would've been easier on all of us."

"Maybe I should have. I'm sorry," she apologized, genuinely. "I'll try to be more honest. But in return, can you two be more honest as well? Just as you guys don't like secrets being kept from you, I don't either. But I understand that some secrets can't be told. Still, I'd very much appreciate it if you both put even a little more trust in me. We are supposed to be working together."

He nodded. "Alright, that's a fair deal. I'll try, though I make no promises for brother."

"That's all I want," she said, smiling.

"It's late, you should head to sleep now," Alphonse told her.

"Maybe later. I'm not tired right now." It was a lie, she was actually very tired, especially with everything that has happened and her lack of sleep the past month. However, she wasn't ready to tell the boy that yet. She wanted to stay awake and get to know the boy as well. It seemed that only at times like these did the two get to really talk. She wanted it to last.

And so, despite his persistence, she stayed up with him.

* * *

 **AN:** No reviews last chapter, which is really disappointing. This chapter isn't all too interesting, but pretty necessary. Don't worry, as I said earlier, she'll be getting in on the action soon. This is more setup than anything. It'll get better

 _~Please review~_


	7. The Rift that Separates

It was early out, the sun floating high in the sky as if it'd been there for hours now. The train they were traveling on had come and gone, dropping them off at a small station so early in the morning where they were forced to wait for the next. Hinata didn't mind it so much, though Edward was quite impatient. She had quickly come to learn that he was the type of guy who was always on the go and didn't like staying in one place for too long. Luckily he had decided to take a small nap while they waited, so the cranky Edward was gone for a few hours. That left Alphonse the unfortunate victim to become the blond's head rest.

Seeing nothing much to do and knowing she'd have to report sooner or later, she decided to call the Colonel. A lot had happened which he no doubt wanted to know and she wouldn't be the one to keep the information from him.

Well, most of the information from him. There were still a few things she wasn't certain about.

"I'm sure you're already aware of the rumors regarding the priest in Liore who's able to perform miracles. Edward and Alphonse decided to go there to search for any leads on the Philosopher's Stone, though it didn't end too well. It turns out the priest was performing alchemy all along and using a fake Philosopher's Stone to bypass the laws of alchemy, which is how he was able to fool the people into believing himt to be an actual messanger of god granted the power to perform miracles. Edward revealed the whole truth to the people of Liore and now they're dealing with it."

"A fake Philospher's Stone that's able to bypass the laws of alchemy? Is that even possible? I would think that only the true Philosopher's Stone can do that."

"I was wondering the same thing. Actually, I wouldn't call the stone the priest was using a _fake_ , but more like _incomplete_. As far as the books go, there shouldn't be any other substance that can amplify alchemy like the Philosopher's Stone. So I'm beginning to think that the stone the priest was using was the real stone, just not the complete stone. At least, I can't shake off the feeling that the stone was something. Unless there's another stone we don't know about, that's the only conclusion I can get to."

"And the Elrics, how are they taking it?" Mustang asked.

"Not too good. They're upset about the whole thing, Edward especially. He's been sulking nonstop since the whole thing and I don't know when he'll be over it. The two had high hopes it would be the actual thing this time and that hope shattered along with the stone. I can't help but feel bad for them," Hinata replied.

"What are your feelings on this?"

"I can't say I'm too upset. There wasn't much I was expecting about actually finding the Philosopher's Stone. It's a legend, after all. Even if it's real, and I'm beginning to believe it is with that stone we encountered, finding it won't be so easy. No doubt something will have to be given to get the stone."

"Can't say anything to that."

"I've gotta warn you though about Liore. Edward and Alphonse don't know about this, and I doubt they'll ever even think it, but there's probably going to be some kind of uproar in the city. We just unmasked the fake priest and the people aren't too happy to know they were fooled. It's possible, but I doubt it'll get too out of hand, so I'm just asking that you keep an eye on the place. I'd hate for something else dramatic to happen there after what the people went through."

"No problem, I was actually just thinking about the same thing. It had to have caused some negative reaction from the people but nothing too major should happen. As soon as the priest is found and made to pay for what he's done, everything will settle down."

"Right."

"..." There was a pause, the only indication the Colonel was still on the line the light breathing heard through the receiver. Some rustling, then she could hear his voice once more. "I take it you already know about their past?"

Hinata leaned against one wall of the telephone booth, a leg crossed over the other and her free arm snaked around her midsection. Not too far from her, Edward and Alphonse sat on a bench waiting for the next train to come. A look in their direction told her Edward was still asleep against Alphonse. The sight was cute, though she'd never say it out loud in fear of Edward's wrath. She sighed, sagging against the cool glass wall and squeezing her side in an almost comforting manner. The memory of Alphonse revealing his and Edward's past rushed to her mind, replaying over and over again.

"Yeah, Alphonse told me everything. But to be honest, I already had a hunch on what was going on. After all, it's not hard for me to _see_. I can only say that it's tragic. Those boys were what, nine and ten? That's a lot for two kids to handle. I'm amazed they can still keep going after all that. They're definitely strong, that's for sure. But I'm still not sure of what to think of them, exactly. Despite my efforts to get the two to trust me, they're still adamant on keeping me out of the loop as much as they can. One minute they're nice and polite, the next they're little demons. I can't figure them out."

A snort, she could tell he was amused. "The kind and soft-spoken Hinata, calling two kids demons? Scandalous! They must really be something if they're able to get that out of you." Another laugh, airy and loud. There was a small sound that suspiciously sounded like a smack before a groan and muffled voices were heard, indicating the Colonel was hit - no doubt by Riza. "Sorry, sorry. Sheesh, lighten up. But seriously, it's that problematic working with them?"

"It wouldn't be that bad if they just let me in. I understand that their problems makes it hard to reveal much about their pasts, but it still would be nice if they included me in some things. I need to know what it is I'll be dealing with," Hinata said with a huff.

"Well, they can be like that. Trust me, I had to deal with it myself. Can't say they completely trust me now even after all this time. Just give them some time and they'll warm up to you helping them."

"That's easier said than done," she muttered under her breath, too softly for the Colonel to pick up. "I've got a question, though. Does the Fuhrer or anyone else know about their conditions?"

"Of course not, all hell would break loose if the higher ups or anyone else found out. It's easy to excuse the midget but Alphonse is a whole other matter. I'm not naive enough to believe it'll stay like that forever, though that doesn't mean I can't help but dream," Mustang replied.

"Don't worry, I won't be telling anyone. I may work directly under the Fuhrer but as far as I'm concerned, you're my only superior."

"Quite the bold statement, isn't that? Careful now, you don't want any of the higher ups hearing you say that."

This time it was Hinata's turn to laugh. She smiled, twirling a finger through the phone's cord absentmindedly. "You say that but isn't it Riza who's always having to remind _you."_

"Touche." Another pause, this time longer than the first. The light atmosphere lowered, slowly melting away to be replaced with a hint of tension. "So, how're you doing? Last time I saw you, you seemed to be faring okay. Any incidents?"

"One," Hinata admitted. "It was back when we were fighting the priest. Usually I'm able to ignore the headaches but this one got so bad I ended up fainting. By the time I woke up, Edward and Alphonse had the situation taken care of. I'm fine now but I imagine they have a lot of questions about me, especially with that little incident, and I can only guess what they think of me. It seems that as soon as I make some progress with them, it just disappears with the next thing I happen to do."

"You're stressed out," it wasn't a question but a statement. He didn't even need to see her up close to know that work was beginning to get to her. "You've been resting, haven't you?"

"As much as I can with you and the Fuhrer throwing missions at me left and right. I haven't had much of a break in a while and I doubt I'll be getting one anytime soon," Hinata said with a huff. It was meant to be taken lightly, just a little joke to laugh about. Yet, she realized, he was taking this more seriously than she had been expecting him to.

"You said earlier you're having a little problem with the boys. I have a little proposal to kill three birds with one stone. What do you say?"

"That depends. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

It was a while until the next train needed for them to board came around. Edward awoke with a stir and a yawn, looking more a zombie than anything as he stood to stretch. Hinata was at the two's side instantly, boarding the train behind them. They took a seat in an empty compartment with Hinata sitting across from the boys. It would be a while yet until the train was to go, so she took this time to relax a little.

"You were on the phone with the Colonel, right? What did the two of you talk about?" Alphonse asked once they were all settled down, leaning forward curiously. The sight would have been cute if not for the terrifying armor.

Edward's head perked up, his attention shifting to the only girl of the three.

"I gave him a brief summary of what happened in Liore, as well as got the information for our next mission," Hinata answered.

The blond groaned and sagged in his seat. "Another mission already? We just had the one with the Freezing Alchemist, not to mention what happened in Liore. Damn the Colonel's a slave driver, can't even give us a little break."

Hinata couldn't help but smile. _You don't know the half of it,_ she thought. Clearing her throat, she waited patiently for the two's attention to return to her. "We've been given the assignment of inspecting out the coal mines in Youswell, then report our findings to the Colonel. That's all."

Edward gave an exasperated sigh.

"Come on, it won't be that bad. We're just going for an inspection, right? It'll be over quick!" Alphonse said, trying to stay optimistic. He paused, a thought coming to him. "Wait, isn't Youswell that coal mining town that's rumored to be poor and gloomy or something?"

"Oh yeah, that town," Edward mused. A moment of pause and he straightened, finally out of his gloom. Turning to Alphonse, he smirked. "You know what, Al? I think this might not be so bad."

Hinata and Alphonse exchanged a look, and there Hinata realized that even the boy in metal didn't know what his brother was planning. She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

The last town to the east, Youswell. It was a little town that relied on its mines to keep it going. She'd only been there once, and that was way back when she first came to Amestris to learn about its alchemy. Now six years later and she was back at the place, surprised at how much had changed since then. Before, the town was lively and its people bustling around. Now it was so dully and gloomy, nothing like it had been before. She could only describe it as a town in despair.

Knowing the Colonel, there had to be something going on if he was sending them here. He wasn't known for being easy on his men.

"Everyone looks so worn down, not like I imagined it to be," Alphonse said.

"I guess it's like the rumors say," Edward muttered, barely loud enough to be heard by the other two.

He yelped, the sudden pulling of his hood making him lose his balance and fall back. Two arms caught him and he opened his mouth to yell at the offender, only to pause and stare in shock as a wooden beam flew past where his head had been only a second ago. It slammed into Alphonse's armor, catching the boy's attention. The blond slacked against Hinata, blinking as he realized what had just happened.

"Whoops, sorry," came the young voice of the male responsible. He took one look at the three and grinned. "Oh hey, are you guys tourists? Where'd you come from? Have you eaten? Found any place to stay yet?

Edward quickly straightened, pulling away from Hinata's grasp. He looked just slightly awkward and irritated with the sudden attention. "Uh, no... I-"

"Hey dad, we got customers!" the boy called out, completely ignoring Edward.

"Hey, listen to me!" Edward yelled.

Again he was ignored.

"What are you going on about down there, Kayal?" The voice came from above. Hinata looked up to see a man who looked like an older version of the one beside them, although the man's hair was more kempt.

"We've got a customer! Revenue!" the boy yelled.

"What do you mean by revenue?!"

"Oh, is that so?"

* * *

The three were led to a decent looking inn in the middle of town. It was large with plenty of room for many visitors, though looked a little rusty as if it had been a while since proper maintenance was done to the place. Walking inside, Hinata was assaulted by the lively atmosphere and pleasant chatting. The scent of fresh food wafted to her nose and she licked her dry lips. Compared to the doom and gloom outside, this was almost like a whole different world.

It felt homey inside.

"Sorry it's a little dusty. The salary for coal miners has gone down significantly and I have to work at this inn to help with payments," Halling - as the man had introduced himself as - said.

"What are you talking about, boss?! You're the one stealing money from guys who've got money issues!"

"The wife would cry!"

"Oh shut up, you!"

While the owner fought with his customers, Hinata moved her way to the register. Both boys easily slipped into one of the empty tables inside, not too far away from her. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the playful banter between adults. Yup, it definitely was livelier inside than out. "How much is a room for one night here?" she asked the matriarch of the place.

"Meal included?" the woman asked.

Hinata nodded.

"Hey, two rooms here for the two of us as well!" Edward yelled from where he sat, waving lazily to get the woman's attention.

"I warn you, it's expensive," Halling said.

"No problem. We may not look like it but we have plenty of money," Edward assured.

"Two hundred thousand, then. For the two rooms and the meals."

Edward fell out of his chair. If Alphonse had a body he would have paled. Hinata just gaped in shock. Two hundred thousand for two rooms and meals? She could get a nice small house in Central for that price! This was ridiculous. She didn't carry around that kind of money in her pockets and never would think it. Who charged their guests that much? "No way, that's a lot," she found herself muttering.

If that much was for two people then she had a pretty good idea of how much was for one, and she definitely didn't have that much on her.

The blond teammate of hers quickly regained his posture and sat upright, gaping at the owner. "That's nothing more than a rip-off! What're you gonna do, put gold bars in our pillows?!"

"Like I said, it's expensive," Halling repeated. "We have to get our money from the rare tourists that come by."

"Whatever! I'll just go to another inn then," Edward said. He stood and turned to leave, expecting the two others to follow. Instead, a firm hand grasped the top of his head, preventing him from going anywhere. Edward trembled under the intense glare sent his way.

"Trying to get away, revenue?!"

Kayal laughed. "You better give up, bro. The price is the same wherever you go so you might as well stay."

The two boys quickly huddled together. A glance from Alphonse told her he was expecting her to join, though she just shook her head at the sight of Edward's impatience. He wanted to get this over with quickly and she had a feeling he preferred she didn't involve herself with them. He might have been nicer to her since the Liore incident, but that didn't mean he liked her yet. She didn't want to risk anything.

Instead, she moved back to the matriarch for some questioning. "I don't mean to be rude but what's going on here? Last time I came here it was much livelier than this. Now it almost seems dead," she asked.

"You've been here before?" the matriarch inquired, surprised.

Hinata nodded. "That's right, six years ago if I remember correctly. I stopped by this town for a night on my way to East city."

"That would explain it then." At Hinata's confusion, the matriarch elaborated, "There's a man named Yoki that used to just be a coal mining proprietor until he bribed his way into power. Now he controls this place and he keeps increasing taxes while decreasing the wages of workers at the same time, all because he's greedy for money. Anyone who tries to complain gets beat for it. I'm afraid it'll keep getting worse and worse."

"That's awful," Hinata mumbled. Pity for these people bubbled in her chest, heating her heart and threatening to explode. To be exploited like that all for the sake of money, she couldn't imagine how hard it was for these people. This was all so wrong, so very very wrong. Was the military really letting the man get away with this? She knew that there were plenty rotten fruits in the basket, but to think any soldier would let this happen...

 _But of course, it's only natural. It happens in Konoha and the other villages, too. There's always someone that's corrupt and doesn't mind taking advantage of their power and money. I've already seen a few of them in the military, and even back home. Its nothing new,_ she thought.

Still...

Hinata shook her head lightly of the thoughts, throwing them out the proverbial window. Now she understood why Mustang sent the three here. It wasn't just for a little inspection, he wanted something out of this. Of course, he wasn't known for being easy on his men. If he had a job, it was to gain something for it, something that would help him in his goal. They were his pawns and while it should irritate her, she didn't mind. He knew her too well. This mission was perfect for her to complete, only because she would care too much for the people not to help them.

She remembered his words then, of his little proposal. It was the perfect job for her, yet it wasn't for her. Not this time.

 _"You said earlier you're having a little problem with the boys. I have a little proposal to kill three birds with one stone. What do you say?"_

 _"That depends. What do you have in mind?"_

 _"I've got another assignment for you. It shouldn't be too tough, just a little inspection I want you guys to take care of in Youswell. It's the perfect chance for you to rest and observe the boys."_

 _"You want me to leave it all to the boys?"_

 _"That's right. Like I said, it shouldn't be too tough. Just let them handle it all and relax. Watch the two and once it's done, make your opinion. Not that hard, right? It'll be quick and simple. The three of you will be on your way in a day or so."_

Her lips curled down in distaste. He had told her they could handle it and she should just sit back but she didn't know of she could do that. The boys were strong and could take care of themselves but despite that, she couldn't help worry about them. Was this assignment really alright for them? She sighed. She couldn't think like that. She had to shove the worries out of her head. This was why they didn't trust her, because she couldn't bring herself to trust them when it mattered. They didn't believe she could understand and she didn't believe they had the skill to manage their jobs.

 _Even if I tell myself that, it's still hard. I don't even know them that well,_ she thought.

This was going to be hard for her.

"Hey dad, these guys are alchemists!" Kayal suddenly yelled over the chatter of people.

With those words, the inn got even livelier. Hinata stood back and watched, just as ordered. Everyone in the inn crowded around the two boys, blocking her view of them. All she could see was the top half of Alphonse's head but she didn't mind, only needed her ears to hear what was happened. Immediately questions were thrown around, with Edward and Alphonse answering them as best as possible. It didn't take long for them recover from the sudden interrogation and Edward took this chance to show off his alchemy.

The blond went around fixing about anything and everything the owners and their customers gave him. Hinata watched in amusement as a couple of the guys ran out of the inn and came back a minute later with something in their hands to fix. She didn't know what they had planned at first by doing this but soon enough she got the idea from the sight of Edward's smirking face.

Everyone gaped in awe at the outstanding display and some, who weren't in a frozen in place, clapped and cheered. All through it Edward was nothing but smug, soaking in the attention like a sponge like a dry sponge in water.

"I can't believe my first customer in a long time would be an alchemist. I'm glad," Halling said after everything settled down, setting a plate of food and coffee down one the table for Edward. "I admit I used to do a little myself before but I didn't have any talent in it so I quit," he continued, laughing lightly. "I'll give you a discount as a favor for a fellow practitioner, as well as take out some of the cost for fixing our stuff."

"Alright!"

"That'll be one hundred thousand with the huge discount."

"That's still expensive!" Edward yelled in frustration.

She was going to go out on a limp here and say that the price for her room was still the same, considering she hadn't joined the two. _Guess I won't be staying in this inn then,_ she thought. Deciding not to stand back by herself anymore, she made her way to the boys' table and sat on the only empty chair left. A nod from Alphonse was the only greeting she could and she copied his action.

"By the way, you still haven't told us your name," Halling said.

The blond licked his lips, picking up his utensils in eagerness to fill his growling stomach. "Huh? Oh, right. Edward Elric," he replied.

Everything went silent.

A clank. Edward's knife and fork hit nothing but the wood of the table. Hinata looked around, confused at the sudden tension in the air. Had they done something wrong? Everyone was staring at them and she had no idea why. It was uncomfortable.

"If you're an alchemist named Elric, that would mean you're a state alchemist?" Halling questioned.

"Well, yeah. A little," Edward replied. He reached for his drink, only for it to be taken by Halling before he could touch it. "What's your problem?!" he demanded.

In the blink of an eye, the two boys were picked up by the men and thrown out the door. "Get out!" For a second they only stared at her, as if trying to decide something, but turned away in favor of the boys. Hinata blinked, now even more confused than before. What was going on? She stood to head to the door, curious to see what was going to happen.

"Hey, what's the big deal?! We're customers!" Edward yelled.

"Shoo, get lost! We have no beds or meals for the dogs of the military," Halling said.

"Wait, I'm not a State Alchemist. I'm just a normal person," Alphonse spoke up.

"Oh really? Come on in then."

"YOU TRAITOR!"

Once Alphonse was inside, the door shut with a slam and the people stomped back inside. Hinata shared a look with Alphonse, who was just as confused as her. If they didn't want anyone from the military here, then why hadn't she been thrown out as well? _I guess they don't think I'm with the two,_ was the only thing she could think of.

The people muttered to themselves, some disappointed, most angry. No one was pleased to find the news. When Alphonse asked, they gave him the same story the matriarch of this place gave Hinata. She pursed her lips, standing from the chair she had taken next to Alphonse in curiosity of their reasons. Now she was as displeased as them.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kayal questioned.

Hinata paused halfway to her destination, turning to see him and Alphonse staring at her. The others were too, though some of the customers didn't really care. Instead of answering his question, she dug into her pants' pocket and pulled out her watch. "Since you guys aren't accepting State Alchemists, then I can't be inside. You guys hate me too, right?"

It was silent once more. She took this as a positive and turned to leave once more, ignoring the hateful stares on her back. However, gripping the door handle with one hand, she paused and looked back. "You know, Edward has absolutely nothing to do with this. He may be a State Alchemist, someone who works for the people you hate, but that doesn't give you the right to kick a little kid out on the streets and leave him with nothing. You're only taking your anger out on an innocent. Right now, you're no better than the man you claim to be evil."

With that said, she stepped outside, giving no time for those within to give a comeback. She hoped that they would at least think on the words. She didn't spot him immediately, so she decided to walk around. He wasn't too far away from the inn and she made her way to him, sitting just a spaces away.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, bitter.

She contemplated telling him the real reason, though decided against it. No doubt he'd yell at her for thinking of him as a kid that needs help. "They don't like State Alchemists," she said instead. Not a lie, though not the exact reason she left.

"..."

His stomach growled.

Hinata tried not to smile. "You okay?"

"Fine."

The sound resemblant of a dying whale reached her ears once more and she couldn't keep the smile off this time. "Are you sure? We could go and search for some food or a place to stay."

"I said I'm fine!"

"I don't understand. Why don't you trust me?"

"Why are you keeping secrets from us?" he shot back.

She frowned, brows pressing together. "What?"

He turned to stare at her, golden eyes intense in its accusing glare. "You're asking me to trust you when I don't know anything about you."

"But I've told you about myse-"

"No. You only told us the basics about yourself. We've already told you a lot about us - about our pasts and our goals - and you're still keeping quiet about yourself. And don't give me that what you told us back at the hospital as equivalent!" He stood, hands clenched at his sides. "Not to mention, you claim to be an alchemist, yet we've never seen you perform alchemy. You don't even carry around chalk or anything to help you transmute. You're part of the military, yet you take on jobs normally assigned to the police. You're supposed to be helping us, yet you haven't done anything but get in the way. You look weird. You act weird. You lie to us. You don't even trust us and you're asking us to trust you?!"

"But I do trust you guys."

He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, right. So back when we were looking for the Freezing Alchemist you were trusting us when you suggested to take over the assignment? Or when you were telling us about yourself back in the hospital and left out the reasons why you came here - and I don't believe the crap you told us about coming just to learn the alchemy here. Oh, and let's not forget how you still haven't explained to us what the hell happened back then with that third-rate priest. I sure as hell don't believe that it was just because of a stray bullet hitting you or something because there weren't any wounds on you indicating that!"

"Please calm down, Edward," Hinata tried, raising both hands to try and settle him down.

"No."

"Edward, please."

"I said no. Are you going to explain yourself or continue to act dumb and innocent? Because that sure as hell isn't convincing me to trust you."

Hinata sighed. "Can you at least sit down and keep quiet? I don't want the whole neighborhood hearing. I promise I'll explain."

Edward didn't move, just stared at her with arms crossed still. His brilliant golden eyes swirled with a mixture of emotions she couldn't identify all at once. Finally, he huffed and fell on his butt beside her, head turned away. "I'm listening."

"I..." she paused, frowning thoughtfully. She looked away, struggling to find words. His accusations were understandable and he had every right to not trust her. She hadn't realized just how much she'd kept from him - how much trouble she'd caused. At first, she had thought it was them that were the problem, the reason there was a rift between them. But now, having heard everything Edward said, maybe it really was her and not them. Maybe she was the one keeping that rift floating.

Hinata swallowed thickly, contemplating how much she could tell him and caught herself a moment later, realizing this was what Edward was talking about. Why he had so many suspicions and why he claimed she didn't tell them everything, that she lied - because she really was keeping the truth. Just having the idea to withhold information, that was the problem.

"Well?" he questioned gruffly, foot tapping in impatience.

Her lips pursed and she played with the cuffs of her jacket. A laugh bubbled past her lips, one devoid of any real emotion. "You're right," she whispered. "You're right. Now that I think about it, I haven't given you guys much reason to trust me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that. It's just... it's really hard for me to talk about myself, especially when I haven't told anyone - not even Colonel Mustang or the Hughes' family. No one here..."

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his head turn, his eyes focus back on her. His lips were tugged down in that frown he always wore, but - and she could be wrong - but she thought she spotted just a tiny glint of understanding buried beneath the tornado of emotions swirling in those golden eyes.

"You've already told me your deepest secrets, so I should too. But... but if I tell you, can you promise not to tell anyone? At all. Just between you and me?" Her head turned, her pale eyes begging for him to accept or else she would say nothing. It was her turn to trust her secrets with him. However, she was a coward, not brave like him. She couldn't let her secrets be revealed. If she had to tell, it would be to one person and one person only. That was all she would accept. Could accept.

"..."

"I can't tell you if you don't."

"Fine, promise." He sighed, running a hand through his blond bangs. Peaking through the gaps within the tresses, he eyed her pointedly. "I can't keep this from Al - at least not for long, you do understand that, right? He's my brother, even if he doesn't find out on his own, he has to known. 'We're supposed to be working together', isn't that what you always say?"

She nodded. "Yes, I understand. But just for now? Until I'm ready, please. I won't take too long. It's just hard for me to even tell one person."

"Come on, it can't be as bad as us."

She smiled dryly. "You'd be surprised."

"Alright, fine. But only for a bit. Al will know, I'm not leaving him out of the loop."

"Right." Sucking in a deep breath, she mustered up as much resolve as she could. He promised, and this was her chance. A chance to finally get closer to him. A chance to become a team and to trust each other. He told her his secrets, so she would tell him hers. "I-"

"Hey brother!"

And just like that, her resolve shattered. She shut her mouth and bit the bottom of her lip, an apology in her eyes. Edward wasn't pleased, she could tell. Both of them turned to Alphonse, who appeared around the corner of the house they sat by. His armor clanked with each movement of his body and he neared, carrying a plate with food and a cup of steaming liquid.

"There you are. I was wondering where you wandered off to. Here, I snuck some foo-" He came to a halt, staring between the blond and the blunette. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"I-"

"No," Edward interrupted. He didn't even look at the girl. "Nothing at all."

Hinata looked away, understanding. He was keeping to their promise, her past would stay between the two of them. She just had to make sure she kept to it as well. Later. When the two would be all by themselves.

She didn't know if she could do it, though.

* * *

 **Ednewgate:** Like I said, it's not going to get interesting until a bit later. I plan on steering away from the storyline, though for now I'm gonna stick to it. It won't be for long and there'll definitely be changes. I apologize if it's boring at the moment. For her headaches, more will be revealed later on. Thank you for the review, I greatly appreciate it. I'll take your criticism to heart and use it to improve my writing :)

 **Patrick:** Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't sure what pace to set it as. I didn't want it to be so fast that it looks sloppy and rushed, but I was hoping not to make it too slow that it's boring. But like I said, it's not going to get too interesting until a bit later. I hope I'm not boring you, though. I'll try and pick it up if that's what the readers want. As for the headaches... there'll be more information on them. Thank you for the review, I very much appreciate it!

 **Agrond:** I guess it's not that interesting when she just blacks out. Well, she'll be more engaged soon, so I hope you can bare with me until then. The stone... I hope this chapter answered that. Thank you for the review, I really really appreciate it!

 **AN:** If you guys have anything you want to say or ask, feel free to review. I'll respond! No promises on answering the questions unless you guys don't mind spoilers. But yeah.

 _~Please Review~_


	8. A Story of the Past

After Alphonse's unexpected appearance, he told them what happened after the two left. Apparently, her little speech had gotten some kind of reaction out of the men, an expected one but not the kind she had wanted. From what Alphonse said, most where furious with her for even suggesting they were evil like this Yoki person they hated. There were a few that did consider her words, though it was probably too much to hope that they would try and understand her point.

Edward and Alphonse chatted quietly with each other after that while Hinata sorta lost herself in thought. She kept an ear out for anything that might happen but other than that was alone in her thoughts. The two brothers were having one of their common brotherly moments with each other and she didn't care to impose. She would've gone out to find a place to stay but she had a feeling no one would accept them.

If everyone here hated State Alchemists, then they would hate her and Edward as well.

She sat a few ways away from the brothers, elbows resting on her feet and face in her palms. The cool night's air felt great on her burning skin, though it was sad to say she wasn't enjoying it as she usually would. She stared out into the cloudless night, unseeing with her glazed eyes. Edward's earlier words and the promise the two made rang loud in her ears. Now that it was pointed out how much she had hid from them, she couldn't help but think about it. She had believed it was the two brothers that weren't cooperating with her, when in actuality she was the one doing nothing to improve their relationship with each other.

Sure, the brothers had their own faults which made it harder to work together. However, she was doing nothing to help remedy this shaky partnership.

Had she really been keeping so much from them? She never found her past interesting, nor something she could easily share with others. She hated what she'd done and the kind of person she had been. Even now, there was so much for her to improve in but she was going somewhere now. There were many regrets she had and many mistakes she wished she could go back and fix. What she's done and what she'd do in the future she knew would never atone for her past actions. She couldn't even admit to everything that's happened to herself, could she really tell the boys?

 _But Edward's right. I haven't done much to earn their trust,_ Hinata thought.

It was all so difficult for her. How could the boys reveal their secrets so easily and yet here she was fighting with herself to decide whether to share or not? She rubbed her palm against her forehead, stress building up within her aching chest and threatening to spill. This was too much for her. The many short and restless night, the missions, teaming up with Fullmetal and his brother, her headaches, her own problems, and now this; it was amazing she was still keeping herself together.

 _Maybe I should go on a walk to clear my mind,_ she decided.

Hinata stood, wishing for nothing more than rest but knowing she wouldn't get much this night. She checked to see if the boys were still deep in their conversation and wasn't surprised to find that they were. Briefly contemplating whether to let them know of her idea or not, she decided against it. She would hate to interrupt (translation: she didn't want to face Edward at the moment with their rough moment before Alphonse showed up).

"Bye," she mumbled softly, not loud enough to be heard.

Turning, Hinata stepped forward to go on her walk. The sound of yelling had her stopping in her tracks before she could begin. She exchanged a brief glance with the boys and together the three ran to where the sound came from. At the sight of Kayal, the inn's owner's son, being slapped hard in the face and send back, Hinata picked up speed. She stepped in front of Kayal and let the boy's body slam into her own, her arms circling around his torso to keep him from falling to the ground. He gasped and groaned, eyes shut tight in pain and shock.

"Are you okay, Kayal?" Hinata asked.

"Hey you, who do you think you are to interfere with our affairs. You're not from here, are you? Well, I'll teach you some manners!" One of the three men yelled, drawing out a sword from his side.

Hinata scowled and pushed Kayal behind her, ready to fight him if it came to that. Fortunately for the man, Edward flew into the scene and quickly stopped any fighting that would have happened if he hadn't. "Now, now. No need to fight. Why not... talk this out?"

"And who might you be to interfere with our affairs?!" the leader of the group, who Hinata assumed was Yoki by the way he was dressed, demanded.

"Oh, just a passerby that wanted to say hi to the First Lieutenant," Edward replied, taking out his military pocket watch for the man to see.

Hinata thought of eavesdropping as Yoki and his men whispered to each other but decided against it. She turned her back to the three, keeping an ear out for anything they might pull, and faced Kayal, bending down closer to his level. "Are you okay, Kayal?" she questioned, touching his red cheek with a cool hand. Her brows furrowed in worry at the painful mark on the otherwise pale face. It just had to hurt.

"Fine," he replied curtly.

The boy scowled at the interaction between Yoki and Edward, stepping back to stand with his father and watch. Figuring she wasn't going to get anything else out of him, she turned to the men as well. It looked as if Yoki was trying to bribe the boy and on closer inspection it wasn't far from the truth.

"Please, I can't allow a man of your stature to stay in this dirty place. Come with me, there's just the perfect place for you to stay!" Yoki said.

"Great, then I'll leave it all to you. This old man wouldn't let me stay here 'cause he's stingy!" Edward stated with a laugh. He turned to Hinata. "You hear that, Hinata. We're going!"

Hinata gulped, the brief hidden glare he'd given her a sure telling of the promise of pain should she not comply. It was his quiet way of saying he'd not forgotten his promise and she knew, just knew, that one way or the other he'd get her talking and she couldn't do anything about it. She refrained from letting out a sigh and nodded. "Right..."

"The taxes will be paid, you got that?" Yoki yelled as they exited out the inn.

Hinata leaned in to Edward, a hand covering one side of her mouth as she whispered, "Should we be leaving Alphonse alone in there? You two are always together."

"No problem," he replied.

And that was the end of the conversation.

For now.

* * *

Yoki invited the two to his manor, rich in decor and a sight to see compared to the rest of the town. Although not the most grand building she'd seen before, it was still a sight. No doubt it cost a lot of money to be made, much more than the miners probably got yearly in salary. They had a full-course meal in which Loki used as the perfect opportunity to bribe Edward into putting in a good word for him (translation: getting him a good promotion or two). Edward didn't exactly accept, yet didn't refuse, either. Yoki had taken this as a yes and Hinata was beginning to wonder on what kind of person Edward really was.

"You two must be tired after your meeting with those dirty ruffians. I'll get you two settled in your rooms. Maids, escort the two to the guest wing," Yoki ordered.

"Actually, one room will be fine. Hinata and I are sharing, right?" He smiled a sugary smile that looked way too sweet on his face, eyes closed yet clear in their promise of pain.

She gulped. "Uh... Y-yeah, we'll stay in the same room. I-I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Yoki blinked, staring at the two. His eyes sparked and eyebrows bounced on his ugly face, a sly smirk plastered on his lips. "Oh, why of course. Anything for you. My, I have to say, that is one fine woman you've got there, though. Quite the lucky man. I wouldn't have guessed you were into older women, though."

Hinata blushed at the implications.

Edward grinned, wrapping a hand around her neck and forcing her down to his level. "I am a lucky man, aren't I?" the sarcastic dripped from every word he uttered.

Yoki didn't catch it.

"Now, Honey, why don't we head off to bed. I've got something special planned for us tonight, if you know what I mean." Edward wagged his eyebrows suggestively, and Yoki mimicked the action with a little giggle.

Oh yeah, Hinata knew what he meant by that.

"Off you go. I'll see you two in the morning. And I hope you'll think of what we've talked about today," Yoki said.

"Don't worry, I'll think long and hard. Let's go." Edward waved lazily, pulling Hinata along.

"Please rest peacefully."

* * *

"So," Edward began, flopping on the only bed in the room. His arms crossed over his chest and a leg resting on the other, he waited impatiently with a scowl on his face for her to begin.

Hinata worried her bottom lip, feeling ready to catch on fire with the heated glare Edward aimed at her. She could feel herself wavering. Should she tell him the truth? She'd already thought about it long and hard earlier, and still she'd yet to come to a decision. She couldn't possibly tell him everything, could she? The girl took in a deep breath and let it out a moment later, leaning her back against the wall facing him and sliding to the ground. Finally, she mustered up the courage to speak.

"You're not gonna break your promise?" she started off with a question.

He stared pointedly at her. "I told you already, I won't tell anyone. Al's gonna find out sooner or later, though."

"Right," she said, sighing. If there was any time to speak, it was now while the two were alone in private. "Back where I come from, alchemy is forbidden. There were very few who even knew about alchemy, with mother being one of them. She was also the sole exception to the rule I think, which I still don't know why. She used to teach me about it all the time when I was younger. In private, of course. One day though, she died. I was left with no teacher and no mother but I still wanted to do alchemy. It was the only thing that connected me to my mother and I didn't want to let it go. However, my father found out about my alchemy use soon enough and he..." she paused, taking a moment to steady herself.

"He kicked me out of the village, said that until I learned my lesson I couldn't come home. Of course, I couldn't just drop alchemy but at the same time I was devastated. Seeing that I couldn't go back to where I lived, I decided to head to Xing and study more alchemy there. It was different from the alchemy I was taught by my mother and I was intrigued. But after being kicked out of home, my interest in alchemy lessened and continued to the more I was away. Finally, I decided that I'd only use alchemy when I absolutely needed it.

"I heard about the alchemy in Amestris and how it's supposedly different from the one in Xing and decided to head there next to check it out. I'd only been in Amestris for two weeks when I heard about the war going on with Ishvala. I decided to join it. I hadn't used alchemy in a long time and I thought that this would be the perfect time to do it, when the country needed it most. So I applied and the rest you know already," Hinata explained.

Surprising, Edward had sat through the whole thing without uttering one word. Considering how much of a loudmouth he could be, she hadn't expected this. Didn't mean she felt easy about it. She bit her lip, staring down at her wiggling toes. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"You said the alchemy where you come from is different from that of Xing and here. What do you mean?"

"The kind of alchemy my mother taught me relied on the energy within a person to manipulate objects. Do you know what chakra is?"

"You mean those seven points in the body or something?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, not exactly. Well, actually..." She paused to think of a way to put it in simple terms. "Chakra is basically the energy within the body, or life force. It's created through the molding of physical and spiritual energy; meaning the energy within the spirit and the energy within the body. When this energy is formed into chakra, people can use it in many ways. The main purpose for it, for us, is to perform what are called jutsus. They're various different types of techniques that either manipulate the already existing matter within the earth or create new matter, sometimes even go beyond that and bring forth that's not something from this plane of existence. In alchemy, it's the former I use."

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up! Create new matter? How's that possible? You can't make something that's not already existing!" Edward interrupted. "It's equivalent exchange!"

"In alchemy, there is always the rule of equivalent exchange that only few known ways are able to bypass it. However, where I come from it's a little different. Chakra is basically the life essence of a person and by manipulating this energy, I can change it into something else. I'm basically giving a part of myself to make something new, which is unlike the method used here. In a way... Hmm, how should I put it... Think of your whole being as one big Philosopher's Stone. The energy you possess, bottled up within your body, swirling in a steady stream, ready to burst forth at the smallest encouragement. It's energy unseen to the eyes and what keeps you alive; invaluable. Now imagine using this energy; using a part of yourself that worth cannot be measured by anything else."

Edward leaned forward eagerly, elbows resting on his knees as he blinked. "So it's your own life force that your using?"

"Exactly." She nodded.

"But how can you do that? I mean, if it's your own life force your using, wouldn't that mean that you're taking your own life little by little when you use it?" he questioned.

"In a way, but different than that. You're using energy from your own body and spirit, energy that is rechargeable if given time, but not unlimited. As long as you can control your chakra, than there is much less danger of using it all up and dying. You can train your body and spirit to hold and produce more chakra to use everyday."

"I think I understand. So you use a part of your soul to create matter that doesn't already exist. Since the soul is priceless, something as simple as a chunk of earth or metal can't compete with it. And so, in exchange for a bit of this priceless energy, you're able to perform acts that would be otherwise be considered impossible. Like the Philosopher's Stone, which its energy is said to be unrivaled by anything in this world, right?"

"Yup."

"But wait, how are you able to create new matter? I mean, the Philosopher's Stone can do it, but that's a whole different thing from the soul. Is the human soul really that incredible?"

"I have a theory that the Philosopher's Stone and the human soul has similar properties. At least, it's value is closest to that of the human soul. I mean, it's said that nothing is equivalent to it and that's why creating a new one, aside from the normal way, is impossible."

"Okay. I'm still skeptical about all of this."

"Well, that's all for jutsus. How it all works has still not completely been understood and research is being done for it. I think it's just that some things can't be explained. I mean, a mother and father together can create a new life, right? It's not a simple joining together and there's much more to it that none can understand. And the Philosopher's Stone is unexplainable too, right? It's just something that is," Hinata responded. "The alchemy I use isn't too different from yours. There's still the law of equivalent exchange. It's just that I'm using the energy within myself and combining it with the energy of the earth to perform alchemy. I'm just not as limited as you guys are."

"..."

Edward hummed to himself, the sound closer to a groan than anything. To Hinata, it looked like his head was ready to explode with everything that she's told him. She couldn't help but smile in amusement. "Wanna continue this some other time? I'm sure this is a lot to take in in one day."

"No."

"Huh?"

He crossed his arms. "Don't think you're getting away with this that easily. We made a promise that you'd tell me everything in exchange of keeping it a secret. I've got all night, so don't even think about dropping it."

Wow, was she really that easy to read? Hinata laughed sheepishly. "Right..."

"I'll let us move on for now but I want to know more about this later on. Next question, you said that alchemy's forbidden in your country. Why?"

"I'm not sure."

His eyes narrowed.

"I'm not lying. I really don't know. That rule's been there since before I was born and I didn't even find out about it until my mother told me. Actually, almost no one knows about alchemy there, so it might just have to do with the leaders not wanting to bring alchemy in when we've already got our jutsus to use," Hinata said.

"Alright, but then why was your mother exempt from that rule?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if she really was allowed to use alchemy. All I know is that the others from my clan were alright with her using alchemy so I just assumed she was allowed. Though now that I think about it, I've never seen or heard her using alchemy outside our home or when I wasn't alone with her somewhere private."

"You're telling the truth?"

"Yes," Hinata said, resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation.

"Hey, calm down. I'm just making sure. You can't blame me for not trusting you," Edward remarked.

"Right..."

"...Your dad really kicked you out of your house?" he asked quietly, hesitantly she would even say.

Hinata nodded. "That's right. I haven't been back since. My father's really strict and thinks of my clan as a whole. So even if I'm his daughter, as long as it has some concern with the whole clan, he's not afraid to punish me."

"..."

The blunette blinked, surprised at the sudden tense silence that strangled the air. It was uncomfortable and she shifted in her spot on the ground, wondering what to say or do. Were they done with the conversation or was he just thinking of something else to say? She'd already given him a lot of information about herself and even her abilities, which she really wasn't allowed to tell others about outside of those who already knew. She looked up hesitantly through her bangs to see him scowling at the ground. He looked deep in thought and she didn't feel too keen on interrupting him.

"Listen I-"

"Smoke?"

"What?" Edward questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Hinata pointed to the far window showing the town outside. Through the rows of buildings smoke rose to the sky in thick waves. It looked as if a huge fire or an explosion had gone off. She rose from her seat, walking with quick thuds on the ground to the window. "There's smoke. Something happened and it looks like it's coming from where Alphonse is," she said.

Edward came to stand beside her to see for himself. He hummed. "It looks like it. Probably that Yoki bastard and his men. I heard them whispering to themselves earlier about burning something. This must be it."

"We have to check it out," Hinata said. She was already halfway to the door by the end of her sentence with her backpack once more on her back.

"Hey, this isn't over yet!" Edward protested. He stomped towards her. "You listening to me?"

"Alright, I get it. You still have more questions for me. Can you please save it for later? All we know Alphonse could be in trouble. Please Edward," Hinata replied.

Edward grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. "We will finish this later."

"I promise."

* * *

Hinata flew to Alphonse with speed that would have shocked Edward, and it did, but he tried not to gawk as he struggled to keep pace. The smoke clouds grew larger and larger by the second and they came nearer. By the time they got there, Hinata was already at Alphonse's and Kayal's sides and Edward struggled to catch his breath.

"You're inhuman," he grumbled, willing himself not to drop on the ground in exhaustion there and then.

Hinata knelt beside Kayal and placed two cool hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright? What happened here?"

"The inn caught on fire while everyone was asleep. We were all able to get out with no major injuries, luckily," Alphonse explained.

"It's those bastards, Yoki and his men. They did this!" Kayal yelled, slamming a hand against the ground.

Hinata pulled him into an embrace, resisting the urge to run back to Yoki's manor and beat some sense into him. Edward was starting to getting to her. There wasn't much she could do for them. She'd been ordered to stay back and observe, so she couldn't interfere with this unless she wanted to disobey. Edward told her to trust in him and his brother, so he'd do something about this, right?

Kayal moved in her hold to stare up at her. "Hey lady... Hinata. You're a State Alchemist so you know alchemy, right? You can help us out here. Please, can't you transform some gold and help save dad and the town?" he was practically begging.

Hinata shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to do that."

"What? Why not? It should be no problem for you!" he said.

"You really want her to make you some gold?" Edward questioned, moving to stand by them. "State Alchemists as well as other alchemists are forbidden from transmuting gold. If she does so, she'll get in a heap of trouble. You really want that?"

"But..."

"Besides, equivalent exchange as it goes. What do we get for helping you?"

"Why you...!" Kayal snarled, forcing himself from Hinata's grasp and grabbing Edward by his jacket. "Alchemists live for the sake of the people, isn't that how it goes?! You're going to just abandon us?!"

Hinata exchanged a look with Alphonse. If this was going to turn into a fight, they needed to be prepared to separate the two before that happened. The younger Elric nodded in understanding. She didn't need a visual representation of his feelings to know the boy was upset by all of this.

Edward pulled away from Kayal after a long stare-down with the boy and huffed, turning away. "Anyway, even if I did transmute you guys some gold, it'll only be taking as taxes and everything would continue the same. So even if we did do something, nothing will change and it'll be our wasted time. If staying here really is that horrible then just move away to where you'll be better off."

"You just don't get it, kid," Halling said, halting Edward in his steps. "This is our home and our coffin."

* * *

Hinata followed behind Edward quietly and Alphonse jogged to catch up. She had no idea what the blond was planning and wasn't even sure she wanted to know. Something in him had changed, she could tell, and she could only assume it was because of the townspeople. By the time they got to their destination, Hinata still had no clue what the blond was planning.

"You're not really planning on leaving those people al-"

"Al," Edward interrupted. "How much do you think this pile of sludge weighs?"

"Huh? Around one or two tons, I think. Why?" Alphonse replied with great confusion.

"Hey Hinata."

"Yeah?" Hinata blinked up at the blond as he paused by the rail tracks where the two carts of sludge stood still. "What is it?"

"Mind being quiet just this once?" Edward asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"Umm, okay...?"

"Great."

"What are you planning, brother?" Alphonse questioned.

Edward struggled to lift himself atop one of the carts, almost slipping once. He steadied himself before finally addressing Alphonse's question. "I'll break the law a little, so pretend your not watching."

"Huh?!"

"So you're telling us to be accomplices?"

"Don't want to?"

"You'd still go ahead and do it even if I said no, right?" Alphonse questioned.

He didn't even need a verbal confirmation to know. Hinata gawked at the two. Was she really hearing right? "You're going to transmute them some gold, aren't you? That's breaking the law! You'll get in trouble if someone finds out."

"So you're gonna tell?" he questioned.

"..." Hinata didn't reply. As much as she knew she should answer yes to that, she just couldn't open her mouth to say it. Edward was actually going to help the people out, even if he was going to do it illegally. Besides, the Colonel told her to just sit back and observe. If she were to stop him then she'd be disobeying. "But what about what you said earlier? How even if you do this, it won't accomplish anything because Yoki'll only take it as taxes and continue to torment them."

"Just trust me," was his answer.

Hinata sighed. Maybe just this once she could ignore the rules.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry for the long wait, I've recently got a new job and so haven't had as much time to write. I actually asked Hina to help me write this chapter because I'm so behind, which I feel bad for because she has a lot of stories to write for too plus work. Well, what's done is done. Thanks Hina! I feel like I should get a betareader or something to help me out. I only have to stories and it's becoming hard to write for both of them. Sorry for the crappy description of chakra and alchemy, it's been a while since I've seen Naruto or even Fullmetal Alchemist.

 **37:** I don't know, wouldn't that be uncharacteristic of Hinata? That would be funny to see though. I'm hoping the two will soon open up more with each other. Hinata, Alphonse, and Edward could make a great team with each other. Thanks for the review! (For some reason your full username won't show up on here. Sorry about that!)

 **Romulus98:** Thank you for your kind words, I hope to not disappoint! I'll try and bring the next chapter up sooner than this! Thanks for the review!

 **Arwen Evenstar 241:** Thank you for the review. I hope to answer all the questions you may have soon enough!

 _ **~Review~**_


	9. Trouble on the Train

Hinata snuggled into Alphonse's side, the cool metal soothing on her heated face. She pulled up the red jacket to her face, her other hand curling around his purple loincloth. Every bounce of the train threatened to push her legs off the seat, half of it barely clinging to it. She mumbled gibberish under her breath, shifting in limited space available to her until she was more comfortable, legs tucked into her torso.

Edward snored lightly on the seat across from the duo, hand resting on his covered belly. Too deep in their sleep, the chatter within the train did nothing to disturb either of the two.

Alphonse made little movement in his attempt to the girl from waking up. It was a strange sight for him to see Hinata asleep, considering this would be the first time he'd seen her actually sleeping. What made it stranger was that she was using him as a cuddle buddy - or more accurately, a pillow. She must be uncomfortable with the position she was in, yet she showed no signs of it. Edward wasn't bothered with it either. The fact that he'd let Hinata use his jacket as a blanket was another surprise.

If he could Alphonse would have frowned. He had no idea what to think of the current situation. The fact that they had stayed up way into the night talking yesterday had him confused as well.

He'd never admit it, but he'd been eavesdropping on the two. Considering Edward had dragged Hinata into his room and exclaimed they'd be sharing it was enough to worry about. He had wanted to believe they weren't going to do anything bad, but just the thought of something happening between the two had him concerned.

Edward didn't like Hinata. Hinata felt uncomfortable when alone with Edward.

Something was up.

He didn't have anything to worry about, though. Nothing happened between the two, they only ended up talking. What he did learn was some valuable information that Edward and Hinata were apparently not going to tell him anytime soon. He had no idea why. All they talked about was alchemy, so Hinata making his brother promise not to tell anyone about it was puzzling. His only conclusion was that something had happened before that, it was the only thing that made sense. That meant it had to have happened when they were at that Lieutenant Yoki's place.

 _But what's Hinata have to hide?_ he wondered.

He supposed for the time being it was fine. Unlike his impatient brother, he could wait until Hinata was ready to tell them what she needed to. They still didn't know each other well enough to be telling every secret they got on them, he understood that. He knew what it felt like to need to keep a secret, his whole situation needing to be kept one, after all. The past could be painful to remember, talking about it was accepting that what had happened really happened. Even he had impossible wishes like that.

He'd find out eventually, anyway. Whether from Hinata herself or on his own. He just had to believe in Hinata, was what he told himself.

Still, even with that, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this was important information to know.

Alphonse sighed, deciding not to think about it anymore. The longer he thought, the harder it became to resist prying into her life. He could hold down his curiosity forever.

The door to the car the three occupied slammed open at that moment, two men rushing inside with guns raised to shoot. "Hands in the air where we can see them!" the man in the front demanded. Gun clicking, he poised it to shoot at a random passenger, his partner following his lead.

Screams erupted, passengers in complete panic mode. Alphonse pondered whether to move into action or not, only to remember the girl sleeping against him. His brother was useless at the moment too, deaf to the chaos all around. The risk of innocent people getting hurt had him deciding against doing anything and he sat still for the moment.

"Quiet down or someone's gonna get shot!" the first guy yelled. Immediately everyone went quiet, frozen in fear. He continued, "We've taken over this car. From this point on, all of you will act as our hostages. If anyone tries to attack or get away, I won't hesitate to shoot you down. That's your only warning."

Hinata stirred into consciousness at that moment. Alphonse looked down at the girl, whose eyes fluttered and hand rubbed at them. The first man walked to their seat, finally taking notice of the trio. The younger Elric wondered what Hinata would do once she's realized the situation. Unlike his brother, the girl was calm and collected, always thinking before taking action. She wouldn't charge right in without a plan, but what she would do exactly he had no clue.

"Hey, you there. You two look suspicious. Who are you?"

The girl froze, staring at the armed man with wide eyes. She was slow to register his words, and lowered her head until her bangs covered her eyes. A self-conscious action? Brother liked to cover up his metal arm with his jacket and gloves, so maybe she did the same for her eyes. They were unnatural.

Now that he thought about it, she was always distant around strangers, rarely talking unless needed. She was the same when they first met.

Alphonse snapped out of his observations, deciding to take over. Hinata didn't look like she was ready to speak anytime soon. "Ah, us? We're not suspicious, not suspicious at all! Just travelers."

The man's eyes narrowed, one eyebrow raised. He turned to the girl, staring long and hard at her face. He snorted. "You sure don't look like it. What's with the chick? Never seen anyone like you around." His eyes trailed to the left, finally noticing the blond asleep on the seat. "He's actually sleeping in this situation?" He frowned, pointing his gun at the blond's head. "Hey, wake up mi-"

Hinata grabbed the man's wrist, effectively cutting him off. She squeezed, a crack an indication she'd broken it. He screamed at the top of his lungs, aiming his gun at her. Before he could do anything else, Hinata hit him hard in the chin and sent him back falling into the floor.

"Why you! You'll pay for tha - AGH!"

Hinata flashed behind the second man, striking him in the back of the neck. He fell, his gun smacking against the floor. The first guy reached for his own gun that had fallen, intent on firing it at her. Hinata picked up the other gun, flashing back to the first man's side, gun pointed at his head. "Don't move or I'll shoot," she ordered.

"You wouldn't dare..."

The girl smirked, pressing the trigger. A bang sounded, frightening many of the passengers. It flew by the man, barely avoiding his cheek, and struck the ground under him. Frozen in fear, Hinata took this opportunity to knock him out. With that both men were taken care of.

"Ah, Hinata? Don't you think... you went a little overboard there?" Alphonse questioned softly, still in awe at the girl's speed and power.

Hinata paused in dragging the first guy to the second, looking around the car. Many of the passengers cowered in their seats, staring at her as if she were ready to attack them at any second. She sweat dropped. "Ah, I guess I did. Sorry," she apologized, laughing sheepishly.

Alphonse stood from his seat and made his way to her, kneeling beside the first offender to assess the damage. "Wouldn't it have been better to keep at least one guy conscious so we could get information on the situation?" he asked.

"No need. There are ten more. Two in the engine room, four in the first class car, and four more in the next cars over. It appears they've taken a family hostage in the first class, probably their intended target and us passengers a bonus. The leader is in the first class car with the family, possessing one automail arm and an eyepatch," Hinata replied.

If he could, he would have gawked. "How do you know all that?"

"It's a secret," she said with a hidden smile.

Taking out some thin wire from one of her pouches, she sat up the first guy with Alphonse doing the same to the second. Within a minute both men were tied up and no longer a threat. All throughout the process Alphonse couldn't help but be in awe. He'd never seen Hinata threaten to shoot a guy, nor that dark smirk on her lips that showed she was ready to deliver pain at a moment's notice. And though it wasn't the first time he'd noticed the two pouches she carried on her, for the first time he wondered what she carried in there and what she needed it for. The fact that she'd gotten the information on their attackers from seemingly out of nowhere was the most puzzling part.

There was a lot he didn't know about Hinata Hyuga.

"Umm... Miss?"

Hinata straightened, turning to the man that'd addressed her. "Yes, what is it?"

"Uh, about those guys. There's still ten of them, right? What are you gonna do?"

Another spoke up. "Won't they retaliate when they find out two of their guys have been knocked out?"

"What'll happen to us?"

Whispers broke out within the car and before long it rose into panicked yells and arguments. Hinata frowned, knowing that if they got any louder, the other men would notice something was up. What was needed at the moment was to stay calm and think, but with these people that could be impossible. Fear ruled over them and calm was sent out the window.

"Everyone, please quiet down!" she ordered in the most authoritative voice she could muster.

"Quiet down? How can we quiet down in this situation? It's only a matter of time before they kill us all and it's your fault!"

She sighed. "I'm a State Alchemist known as Gentle Fist. Unless you want them to come here and do just that, I suggest you listen to me." Seeing their doubt, Hinata pulled out the pocketwatch that proved her status as a State Alchemist from her pocket, showing it for all eyes to see. They immediately quieted. She continued, "Stay in your seats and don't do anything. I'm gonna head out and deal with the others. Just be patient and calm."

Alphonse stepped forward. "You said 'I'. Aren't we going together? With you, Ed and I, we'll be able to get them with no time. Isn't that what's the best way?"

Hinata smiled at him in assurance. "Don't worry, I'll be fine on my own. You and Edward have been doing everything on your own since I've joined, so I think it's my turn to deal with the situation. I can't have you guys do all the work while I sit back. That's not how it goes."

"But..." Alphonse trailed off, deciding to submit. She didn't look like she was going to back down.

"And anyway, if something happens to me, it's good to know that you and Edward are here and can take care of it," she said.

Without another word, she left. Alphonse watched her go, uncertain. _I'm still worried. It's not like we've seen her actually fighting. Will she be okay?_ he wondered. He knew he shouldn't doubt her. After all, she had more experience than him and his brother. Still, it was hard not to. Hopefully she would be okay.

* * *

Hinata slipped past the next car and to the second undetected. There were only four left guarding the rear trains, so if they were like the two guys she'd dealt with earlier, they should be no problem. She just had to remember to not go overboard. She smiled, it'd been a while since she was able to fight. The criminal Richard had been something, but that had ended too quickly for her liking.

The girl scanned the car. Two of the four criminals were there, one on the phone probably talking to the leader and the other watching the passengers. Pouring chakra to her feet, she jumped up on the ceiling of the train and ran towards the two. Barely a second to see what was happening, Hinata had both of them on the ground unconscious. She turned back to the passengers, ignoring their cries of surprise.

"Don't worry, I'll have this matter resolved soon. Please stay calm and in your seats," she ordered.

They quickly quieted down, probably more from fear than anything. One of the men mustered up the courage to speak. "Umm, who are you, miss?" he questioned.

"A State Alchemist," Hinata replied.

With this car taken care of, she headed to the next. Deciding to take to the roof this time around, she got out the window. There were some gasps which she ignored, using chakra to stick herself to the rapidly moving train. Hinata made her way to the next car, peeking through one of the windows. Most didn't notice her, too engrossed with their captors. The few that did said nothing.

Taking two soldier pills from her pouch, she aimed it at the two criminals. With a flick of her thumb, they were sent flying through the open window and hitting hard against the sides of their heads. Both were instantly knocked out. She slid inside, once more ignoring the cries of shock and fear. Walking to her pills, she picked them up and put them back within her pouch. There were six more and the pills were sturdy enough to still use.

"Please calm down and do not panic. I'm a State Alchemist and I promise to resolve this issue. For now, you all should stay where you are and keep quiet," Hinata told them.

There were a few that did not believe she had the power to take all the men down, however she assured them she would be fine. If anything happened to her, there were two other alchemists and they could take it after her. With everything said and done, she left back out the window. The only places left now was the first class car next door and the engine room. Hinata activated her Byakugan, observing the remaining men to eliminate.

 _I've seen that man before. I think he's part of the military,_ she thought. If she remembered correctly, the man was General Halcrow. She'd only seen him around a handful of times, never actually gotten the chance to talk to him.

More likely than not, all of this had been organized beforehand to take the General hostage for one reason or another.

Hinata moved to the next car, taking a careful peek through one of the windows on the opposite side of the General and what looked like the leader of this gang. She took out the two pills from earlier, readying them to fire. Had there not been any kids on the train, she might have used her kunais to take them out quickly. She'd feel way too guilty to have forced them into witnessing a murder first hand.

With a flick of the wrist the two pills were sent flying once more. One of the henchmen was knocked out instantly, the other only knocked back. Now that her presence was known and position found, she jumped into the car.

"Who the hell are you?!" the apparent leader questioned.

With a click, the man poised his arm to fire, the others following suit. She was surrounded, yet she remained calm.

"Move and I'll kill y-"

A thud sounded, the leader falling unconscious on the floor. Hinata stood behind him, hand still raised from her attack to his neck. That left two more and then she was off to the engine room. The remaining two men fired instantaneously and Hinata bit her lip, standing still in her spot. Behind her was the General and his family, if she moved they would get hurt. There were two options she had: take the hit for them or use her chakra to counter. The former would leave her dead and the latter would give away her power. Neither were a pleasant idea.

Hinata spun, releasing chakra from all points of her body. The bullets hit her barrier, fighting to get through. They were no match however, and without much effort were sent flying back, useless. The two men gasped.

"Your turn," she said.

Two cries rang loud in the car, Hinata swift to take care of them. They joined their leader on the floor, guns smacking against the hard ground. Hinata picked the two weapons up and took the bullets out so it couldn't be used.

"Who are you?" the General questioned.

Hinata pocketed a few bullets, intent on using them on the two remaining men as her two pills were now smashed into pieces with those last throws. She only had a limited supply of soldier pills and it would be a while until she could get another supply of them. Turning to the General, she bowed low in respect. "Hello General Halcrow, I'm Hinata Hyuga. A State Alchemist by the name of the Gentle Fist Alchemist. I'm here to take care of the criminals."

"You a State Alchemist...?" he muttered in confusion. His eyes lit up a second later in recognition. "Ah, you! You're one of Colonel Mustang's men, aren't you? I remember seeing you around. It was a good thing you were on board. Thank you for rescuing my family."

Hinata waved off his thanks modestly. "It was no problem."

"From what I know, there's still a few men left in the engine room and back in the rear cars," General Halcrow told her.

"Don't worry, I've already taken care of the others. All that's left it to take back the engine room. I'll be going now," she said.

Taking one last look around the car to make sure the men were still down, she headed out the window once more. Since there were only two left, it would be no problem for her. It didn't look like the criminals were anything above average. It would go much quicker than she had originally thought. As with the previous times, Hinata lowered her head down the side of the train enough to see the people inside. Taking out the bullets she'd gotten, she poised to shoot. With four flicks of the thumb, she shoot them at the men.

Both men cried out, one bullet after another hitting each leg. They dropped to the ground, clutching the bleeding wounds. Before they could retaliate, the engineers were quick to knock them out. Hinata slipped through the window, giving them a small bow of the head.

"Thank you. That makes all of them," she said.

They nodded.

"It should be us thanking you for helping us," the older of the two men said. "If there's anything we can do to help you, just say it."

Hinata smiled. "There is one thing. Do you two mind tying up these guys? I'm gonna go back and check on the passengers, as well as tell my companions what's happened."

He grinned and held a thumb up. "No problem!"

* * *

After making a clone to tie up the leader and his gang and then heading back to where the boys were, Hinata was surprised that Edward had still not awaken from his sleep considering what had just occurred. She didn't bother to wake him up and tell him the details, instead letting have his rest knowing he was tired from the long talk they had last night. To say Alphonse was surprised to see her back so soon with no apparent wounds would be an understatement. No doubt he believed she'd at least acquire some scratches from having to handle all those guys.

Hinata filled him in on everything, as well as the other passengers, assuring everyone she got everything taken care of. With Alphonse's help, they rounded up the gang into one big circle and watched over them until they'd gotten to the next train station. Any wounds the passengers may have gotten from the incident were quickly looked after by Hinata.

By the time they got to East City, Edward was only then waking up. He was surprised to find out they'd been attacked and Hinata had gotten it resolved. Mustang was already at the station with some of his men waiting for they to get there. The gang of criminals were taken into custody and Mustang took them back to his office. Hinata gave a brief summary of what happened.

"So in the end, Fullmetal was nothing but useless," Mustang remarked.

"That's rich coming from someone who makes his lackeys do all his work!" Edward retorted.

Hinata sighed along with Alphonse as a verbal fight broke out between the two. She was right in her assumption that the two didn't get along. How Riza and Alphonse could handle this every time the two were together was beyond her. Then again, she had to endure this with Kiba and Naruto. That was a long time ago, though.

"Can we please not argue," Hinata said, interrupting the two from their little spat. "I thought I was done dealing with children when I left home," she muttered just loud enough for the two to hear.

"HEY!"

Hinata laughed, waving their anger away with a dismissive hand. "Relax, I was kidding. But it would be nice if you two didn't fight every time we met up. There's still stuff I need to do so I'd like it if we didn't stay here all day." She crossed her arms under her chest, the smile vanishing. "Anyway, after this, I've got a favor to ask of you."

"Oh, and what's that?"

* * *

 **AN:** And there you have it. Sorry for the long wait, I had a bad case of writer's block that I haven't completely gotten over yet. This chapter isn't that exciting, but I hope the little action in it was enough to satisfy you guys until the next chapter. I'll try and update the next chapter soon, though make no promises. I've got work and life.

 **Laura:** Sorry for the wait, I'm glad you're enjoying this. Thanks for the review!

 **37:** Yes, I noticed that. Still, the way Edward handled the situation was awesome and I enjoyed reading/watching it. I didn't include Yoki getting owned, but I hope the little action in this chapter was enough to keep you entertained. Thank you for the review! (I don't know why, but fanfiction isn't letting me put your full username on this. I apologize for that)

 **Wanderstar:** I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review!

 **Agrond:** I guess so, never thought about that. Thank you for the review!

 **Kairi671:** I'm not sure if everyone's completely in character, but it's nice to know I haven't messed them up beyond fixation. I'm glad you're enjoying this. Thank you for the review!

 _ **~Review~**_


	10. Unexpected Visitor

Ah, it felt good to be on her own again~

The brothers were out visiting some other alchemist and Hinata, craving for some time to herself, excused herself from the trip to the place. Instead, she headed out for the market, taking extra time to enjoy the familiar sights of her city.

Despite enjoying the two boys' company, they were a walking danger magnet with no care for the consequences their actions brought. Well, Edward was. Alphonse, thank god, did his best to find the cons and pros of any actions they would take, playing the role of rational brother. Or at least, trying to. Edward was far to reckless for his own good.

She needed a break from them.

Hell, Alphonse would probably do good taking a day or two away from his brother. Both were inseparable but even they would need time to themselves without worry about the other. Hinata didn't know how they did it.

Humming to herself, Hinata meandered through the streets of the city with bags full of groceries. There were pressing matters she needed to look into and yet despite that, even she wanted a break every now and then. How long had it been since her last day off? The military ran her ragged with their little assignments they forced on her shoulders. Being placed on a team with the Elrics, she honestly hoped to whatever god out there she would finally get that much needed day off and now here she was, enjoying a walk through the streets.

Maybe life wasn't as bad as it all seemed.

 _The Elrics are planning on staying with that alchemist for as long as possible. Knowing them, it meant late in the evening,_ Hinata thought.

Knowing that, she had plenty of time to clean out her apartment, prepare the guest room, and cook a nice warm dinner for when they arrived at her home. They didn't know it yet but after Mustang had been stationed in this city, Hinata decided to buy herself a place knowing she would spent much of her time here even when on assignments. Being Mustang's subordinate almost guaranteed she would spend a majority of her time near him. The Elrics were the only exceptions she knew of.

Now what would she make for dinner?

Maybe she should cook some home recipes. Ah, but would they like it? Excitement bubbled within her small form, threatening to burst out in ecstasy at the prospect of making home dishes she hadn't eaten or even seen in much too long a time.

Hinata almost skipped down the last street and grinned at the sight of her apartment building. She hurried in, almost tripping at the bottom edge of the door frame jutting out of the ground. Opening the door to her lovely abode, she took in a deep whiff of the heavily scented apartment-

...and promptly fainted on the spot.

* * *

"I didn't know you would be back so soon, honest."

Hinata fanned her overwhelmed mind with a paper fan her trusted little companion had brought to her. That was after the tiny male had dragged her into the apartment, much to the shock of two people who had the fortune of being in the area when she'd fainted. She felt queasy, not only because of the heavy scent of... Hinata wasn't quite sure but if she were to guess, they were a mix of some of the cleaning products she hid under the sink. Her apartment could only be described as a disaster. Anyone who looked inside would wonder if a hurricane had somehow appeared and shredded the place up.

Dirty dishes lay sprawled on the ground, a few of them cracked and some even broken. Her pillows were torn to shreds, the white stuffing inside decorating the floor a snow white. Or would have been if the area hadn't been drenched in what she thought was soup and... she cringed. Was that poo?

Yes, yes it was poo.

Her cat's poo.

Hinata immediately lifted her feet off the floor and pressed her knees to her chest, praying to whatever god out there that at least her was a save spot and she wasn't sitting on currently sitting on muck. Not only that, the plants she worked so hard to maintain were dried out and ready to snap any second. Her stomach turned unpleasantly. The chemicals in the air were making her woozy. She turned to her companion, the little black cat she'd adopted after moving to this city.

"My apartment is trashed! Don't tell me this is all your fault?"

"...Havoc-san would have cleaned it up," the cat simply said, not looking straight into its' master's eyes.

Hinata gaped. No wonder Havoc hated cats.

"Rei!"

Key jingled as the door unlocked (Hinata always wondered how her cat, even if being a nin-cat, knew how to lock the door). A head with blond hair popped in, Hinata recognizing the person to be none other than Jean Havoc himself.

"Listen you stupid cat. Hinata came back today so you better not have messed up the apart - ment... again," he stopped short of his rant. One look inside and he paled, ready to faint just as Hinata had done not too long ago. His mouth opened, most likely to scream in aghast or rage, only for a squeak to manage out upon realizing who was in the room with the "stupid cat" he'd been so close to ripping apart.

He stared at her, frozen in his spot. Hinata didn't know what to do and obviously he didn't either. And just as she was about to up, the state of the floor she would step on forgotten, the grown man fell forward.

Right into some brown goo Hinata had not noticed earlier. Face first.

She swore she saw her cat smirking maliciously.

* * *

Beyond being stressed over work, Havoc apparently also regularly endured torture from her oh-so-innocent little cat in the form of making gigantic messes in her apartment and forcing him to clean up the mess. No doubt to save Hinata from the horrendous sight (which hadn't succeeded this time around). Hinata profusely apologized for her cat's mistreatment and promised to pay him back for all the trouble they caused the poor man. He'd been cleaned off of the brown goo (she cringed each time the soaked dish towel gathered the muck slowly off his face) and with the promise of a home cooked meal in return for his troubles, he left out the door. This would be the last time he'd watch her place again.

Hinata couldn't continue torturing the man so.

Besides the problem of not having a caretaker for her cat and home, she still needed to clean the place up before the Elrics came. Impossible. Knowing them, they would be back late into the evening unless kicked out by the alchemist they visited. It was a little over an hour past afternoon. Hinata didn't have much time for cleaning. How will she be able to get this place spotless? Better question, where should she begin?

Her stomach gurgled and Hinata sighed.

So much for lunch. Whatever time she had would all be spent cleaning. Oh her cat was so going to get it once Hinata was finished with the place. No more treats for the troublemaker _and_ feline will be helping her out with the cleaning, seeing as it was all Rei's fault to begin with.

Even on her day off she couldn't relax. Of all people, why did she have the worst luck in the world?

* * *

The day flew by in a blur. Edward had hoped he would get some answers to his long unanswered questions and was pleasantly surprised to receive more information than he'd originally thought. Granted they were in the form of books and he would have to search through them to find anything of relevance but just being able to read something he hadn't yet before was exciting. Not only that, he'd had the pleasure of playing with Nina and Alexander, which, surprisingly turned out much more fun than he anticipated. Sometimes letting his childish side out wasn't so bad, not that he would ever admit it.

What a stress-reliever it had been.

Now they were bidding goodbye to Tucker and the worn out Nina, who looked ready to fall asleep any moment. A tall muscular blond greeted them outside, the man Edward recognized as being one of Mustang's. He'd seen him around the office a few times but the two never really interacted much, thus he was not too familiar with him.

Edward raised an eyebrow. The man looked stressed (not a surprise considering who he worked for) despite the smile he forced on his face and upon closer inspection, he noticed some kind of brown mucky matter glued to the man's short locks. Edward's nose crinkled and he pinched his nose to block out the horrid stench the man emitted. Only in these few times did he wish to be like Alphonse. Having no body meant having no nose, which meant not being able to smell. And he definitely would have liked to go without having ever had the _pleasure_ of smelling chemicals and whatever else it was that clung to the other blond.

"You smell like crap," Edward remarked.

Oh wait, now he had an idea of what that muck on Havoc's bangs were.

Fullmetal cringed and gagged, pulling away from him. "Is that poop in your hair?"

"Brother!" Alphonse hissed, jabbing the older of the two brothers in the side. Though now that he mentioned it, what Alphonse had originally presumed to be dirt could definitely be poo. If he had a human body, he would have shuddered in disgust. The boy inched away, hoping it didn't reveal his intentions and come off as rude.

"Shut. It. Fullmetal. Or would you personally like to find out what it is," the man threatened through gritted teeth. He sighed a moment later, the headache growing into a migraine. Once he got the two boys to Hinata, he decided he would drink and smoke himself stupid, screw what the Colonel wanted. He needed a day off and he'd be damned if he didn't get one after the torture he endured at the hands of Hinata's cat. Why had he ever agreed to take care of it?

Riiiiight, because he'd been hoping to impress Hinata enough to wiggle a date from her.

At least now he wouldn't have to see that Devil Cat again for, hopefully, a very long time. If he was lucky, never. That and getting a free lunch from Hinata were the only prizes he got out of the mess.

Havoc gestured to the car parked in front of the house. "Get in. I'll be with you in a minute."

The two brothers said nothing and obeyed without a word. While Havoc conversed with Tucker, Edward climbed into the front passenger seat while Alphonse struggled to fit his gigantic armor body in the back. Hopefully Havoc wouldn't notice the little dent he made in the roof, courtesy of his shoulder spikes. Before long Havoc entered the car and they drove off. Where to, the brothers didn't know. Havoc never shared. He simply dropped them off at an apartment building (more like kicked them out of the car) and wished them luck, as well as the place to go. The two watched him off.

"Wonder what crawled up his ass and died," Edward grumbled, making his way to the small duplex.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so rude to him," Alphonse muttered with a sigh.

"I was just asking a simple question," Edward defended.

If Alphonse had a face he would have stared pointedly at his brother. "You insulted him."

"I merely pointed out an observation I made."

Alphonse sighed.

The two paused at the door with a big "16" painted in bold. Edward hesitated, his hand poised to knock on the door. Finally, he mustered up the courage and knocked once - twice, before letting his hand drop back to his side. Whatever Mustang had planned for them he would face it head on. Later, he would kick his ass for not saying anything about this.

The doorknob twisted, brown oak opening to reveal blue hair and pale pupil-less eyes. Hinata smiled wearily at them and fully opened the door. The smell of cooking food wafted out from behind the doors, causing Edward to drool slightly in lust for the source. He blinked, shocked to see his teammate and... teammate at the door. All thoughts of snapping at Mustang flew out the window and he stared, stupefied. "Hinata?"

"Edward, Alphonse. You guys finally arrive," she greeted. Hinata stepped aside, gesturing for the two to step inside. "Come in, food should be ready in a few minutes. Until then, you guys can settle yourselves in."

Edward's brows furrowed but he did as said. The boy looked around the tiny little hall and into kitchen almost to his immediate right, the smell strongest within. Whatever she was cooking, it wasn't anything he'd seen or smelt before, and it appeared delicious. He took off his shoes and slipped his feet into gray house shoes Hinata offered him, starting forward into the living room connecting with both the kitchen and entrance. It was small with only two couches, a coffee table positioned in front, two identical plants on each side, and a small television resting on a stand opposite of the couches. The walls were plan and the floors wooden, nothing else acting as decorations. Still, it looked cozy. He paused just a few feet into the room.

"What do you mean get settled? Is this your house or something?" Edward questioned.

Alphonse, who'd been admiring the small room was immediately captured by the small black cat curled into a ball on one of the couches. He ignored the two in favor of making friends with the animal.

"That's right," Hinata's voice sounded from within the kitchen. "I rented this place shortly after Colonel Mustang was positioned here. Being his subordinate and also tasked with many assignments in this city, I decided it would be best if I got my own place to live while I was here. No sense in spending a bunch of money on hotels and take out food when I could have my own place and make my own meals. You guys are free to stay here for as long as you want. Actually, it would be cheaper and here you can relax."

"Are you sure that's alright? I mean, I don't wanna barge in on you like that," Alphonse spoke up, taking his attention away from now purring feline he petted to regard Hinata.

"It's no problem. I have a spare guestroom you two can sleep in. Colonel Mustang brought your stuff here earlier, saying it would be best you stayed with me," Hinata replied.

 _That's an order,_ Edward thought. He grumbled under his breath too low for the others to pick up. The blond made his way to the other couch, seeing as Alphonse and the cat were hogging the first one. Flopping down, he crossed his arms over his chest and one leg over the other, huffing all the while. Well at least Hinata had a point. This was cheaper than renting out a hotel room, even if the military had discounts. And for once he wouldn't have to eat take out, not that he cared for one over the other. But yeah, cheaper. At least he could check out Hinata's study later on. Being a fellow State Alchemist, he didn't doubt she had one. And where there was a study, there was also the prospect of getting even more books to read that he hadn't before. That made the stay all the better.

"Dinner's done!" Hinata yelled.

Edward got up and walked over to the little area connected the living room and kitchen. It was barely spacious enough to fit a dinner table and three chairs. One look at the food and he hesitated to sit down. He'd never seen dishes like these before. The bowl of food consisted of a bunch of rice, fried chicken and vegetables, soaked in some sort of marinade. There was also a soup next to the bowl and other assortments of meat and vegetables on the table. Was this poisonous? No way, Hinata wouldn't go out of her way to poison them. It smelled too good to be poisoned, too.

Alphonse made his way to the table was well, leaving the little purring ball of fur reluctantly alone on the couch. One look at the food and even he froze. Edward sat down, eyeing the two bowls in front of him.

"It's not going to kill you. They're dishes from my home village. I haven't cooked them in a long time so I thought I would make it today and let you guys try it out. If you don't want to, I can just make something else," Hinata suggested.

Alphonse shook his head. "No! This looks really good. I've just never seen food like this before."

Edward silently agreed.

Once the three were seated Hinata pressed her palms together in front of her and whispered, "Itadakimasu."

The boys stared.

Hinata blushed under the attention and smiled shyly. After coming here she'd stopped talking in her native language except for the few rare occasions such as this one. It was understand that the two boys, having never heard of the word, to be confused. "Where I come from this is what we say before eating. When in food, it translates to something like 'Thank you for the food.'"

"You're thanking yourself for the food?" Edward quirked an eyebrow.

The girl chuckled. "No, not exactly. I'm thanking Mother Nature for giving me this meal and everyone else that has made it possible. Hmm, I guess you could compare it to a prayer."

"Oh, I see! So it's a way of thanking everyone, both nature and people," Alphonse said. He clasped his hands in mimicry of Hinata. "Itada... Umm, what was the word again."

"You're not actually gonna do it, are you?" Edward questioned.

"It's 'i-ta-da-ki-ma-su'," Hinata answered.

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, I don't see why not. I think it's nice and besides, it would only be polite. You too, brother. Itadakimasu~"

The girl's smile widened and just for Alphonse's caring nature, she decided not to giggle or correct him on his mispronunciation. Edward grumbled but repeated after his brother. Before long, the two were eating and Edward, despite his earlier concern, immediately took a liking to the food. The table broke out in light chatter and even Rei joined them, purring and beginning in his silent way for Alphonse to give him some of the food too. One look from Hinata though and he gave up, remembering the punishment of no treats for a whole month after what he'd done to Havoc.

* * *

"Wow, this is your study?"

Edward and Alphonse gaped in awe at the relatively moderate sized room filed with shelves of books and scrolls, a desk and chair being the only other furniture in the room. The okay given, the two were immediately engrossed in whatever book which had caught their eye. Hinata smiled, leaning against the door with a fond smile on her face, remembering fair share of moments when she'd been so excited upon finding something interesting.

While there were some scrolls and books she wasn't too keen on them looking through, she let it go. Only a few of them were not written in her native language so even if they did want to read them, they wouldn't be able to.

As long as they didn't go in her room searching for her research (not that they'd be able to decipher it), she could let them be.

"Hey look here, Alphonse. It's a book on the Philosopher's Stone," Edward called.

Alphonse regarded his brother, pointing at the book in his own hands. "I found one about healing alchemy. There's a section here on recreating and reattaching missing body parts."

"Wow, really? Let me see!"

"How about we read ours and then switch."

"Deal."

The doorbell rang at that moment and Hinata hesitated to leave the boys without a word. They wouldn't notice, not for a long time. Already the two were absorbed in their readings and even if she did try to say something, it would fall on deaf's ears. Muttering a silent, "Don't study too hard," Hinata left the room. The two boys had already settled their stuff in her spare room so she didn't need to show them the way later. For now she'd leave them be. Even if they read all the books in her study, she doubted they'd find much to help them in their research.

Another ring sounded within the quiet home before Hinata stopped at the door. She twisted the doorknob and opened the door enough to see who was visiting at this hour, wondering who it could be.

The person on the other side hadn't even been on the list of people she expected.

"Oops," Rei said the moment he saw the person. He laughed sheepishly. "I forgot to tell you earlier. Someone from Konoha's supposed to be come and visit you. Said something about having urgent news."

"Hyuga, long time no see," Sasuke Uchiha greeted in a heavy accent.

Hinata gaped.

* * *

 **AN:** Long time no update and I sincerely apologize for that. There's been a lot going on with me, not to mention I've been preoccupied with my latest story. I'll try not to take too long with the next update. No promises, though.

 **Laura:** Thank you for understanding. Here's another chapter. More humor than action, I know. Whether Hinata trusts the boys or not, it's not enough for her to tell them everything. Anyone has a secret or two they don't share with even their trusted friends and Hinata is like that. Expect to learn more about her in the upcoming chapters. Thank you for the review.

 **greatgirl22302:** I'm glad you do and here's more! Thank you for the review.

 **Guest:** An update as you have requested. I'll try to get the next one out sooner. Thank you for the review.

 **Hinata-Hime-Starz:** Yay, a new follower! That makes me really happy to know you like this story. Thank you for the review.

 **kiminara:** All will be revealed in time. I'm glad you will be. I'm looking forward to hearing more from everybody! Here's another chapter! Thank you for the review.

 **Alpaca Pasha:** You'll have to read more and find out. I do plan on other characters from Naruto appearing, be assured of that. And yes, Hinata working with them is great. I plan for her to get in on the action along with the brothers. Please look forward to it. Thank you for the review.

 ** _~Review~_**


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